According to sources, the incident occurred a few days after a company car was reported stolen in Stockholm on October 2, 2025. The same car was found stuck in mud in Sandviken a few days before the crime, and it is believed to have been intended for use during the kidnapping attempt but was rendered unusable. Planning continued in the messaging app Signal, and around the same time the suspected perpetrators arrived in Sandviken, a new van was rented at a gas station in Solna.
The new rental van arrived in Sandviken just after midnight on the day of the kidnapping attempt, equipped with masks, gloves, and zip ties. Shortly after six in the morning, a witness observed the rental van near the victim's residence and believed people were sleeping inside. " Shortly after 8:30 on October 9, the white van drove at full speed into the victim's car from behind, and masked men tried to pull him out while threatening him with a knife.
The motive may be money, as the preliminary investigation revealed the victim had invested in cryptocurrency, and messages in the Signal chat discussed securing the victim's phone and codes. Now nine are charged, with six suspected of attempted kidnapping and three suspected of attempted aiding and abetting kidnapping. The trial begins on March 5 in Stockholm, and all the accused deny the crime.
The exact relationship between the stolen company car and the suspects remains unclear, and it is unknown how the suspects were identified and apprehended.