Bureau of Immigration deports Swede wanted for armed robbery

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has recently deported a Swedish national wanted in his country for armed robbery.

Lukas Hasselgren, 38, was sent home last Sept. 27 on a Royal Dutch Airlines flight to Stockholm, BI officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said yesterday.

Ledesma said the board of commissioners issued the order for Hasselgren’s deportation last July 29 and his name was subsequently included in the immigration blacklist.

Faisal Hussin, BI-Interpol unit supervisor and chief of the intelligence division, said Hasselgren is wanted for robbing a security cash center in Copenhagen of some $10.08 million on Aug. 10, 2008.

The fugitive was in the Interpol Red Notice list, which means that all law enforcement agencies around the world may arrest him, said Hussin.

He said Hasselgren was arrested by joint operatives of the BI Interpol unit and the Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB)-Manila on Dec. 9, 2009 at his condominium unit in Malate, Manila.

Ledesma recently assigned six more intelligence agents to its Interpol unit to boost the agency’s capacity to go after foreign criminals hiding in the country. – Helen Flores, Rudy Santos