It was in the spring that images where a famous Swedish artist was beaten and humiliated began to spread on social media.

The artist, who commented on the kidnapping on his own accounts, however, chose not to report the incident to the police but should instead have stated that everything was a public relations ploy.

Has connections to the Vårbyn network

A preliminary investigation was initiated, however, and now prosecutor Anna Stråth confirms that four men have been arrested in the case, one of whom is a previously known football player.

One is, however, detained in his absence.

All have connections to the criminal Vårbyn network in southern Stockholm.

One of the men is a former football player.

- They are among other things detained for kidnapping but deny the crime, she says.

The criminal suspicions also apply to robbery and aggravated extortion.

According to Dagens Nyheter, the leaders could be arrested thanks in part to information received by the police through the hacking of the encrypted service EncroChat, which criminals around the world have used to discuss their criminal plans.

Do not want to comment on the investigation

What has led to these people being arrested?

- It is too early to go into what we have done for investigation in the case.

It has previously been reported that the artist did not want to participate in the investigation, can you comment on that?

- No, I can not comment on anything about the plaintiff at all.

"30 cases related to EncroChat"

According to information to SVT, the information can be used in many new investigations, but also previously unsolved serious crimes in the organized criminal environment.

In Skåne, there are several cases where leading criminals have been arrested with the help of information that has emerged in EncroChat.

According to Linda H Staaf, intelligence chief at Noa, the police have prevented more than ten murders, thanks to the material.

Now SVT can reveal that in Stockholm alone there are about 30 cases in connection with the EncroChat hacking.

Most cases involve serious crime and it is everything from murders and attempted murders to serious gun crimes and car bombs.

With information from EncroChat, it is also expected to give new life to a number of other cases where the police have not been able to succeed before.

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