The suspect had attempted to murdered his wife

A 39-year-old Somali national, who was wanted by the Swedish authorities, was arrested in Vienna on 19 September 2017 as a result of the excellent cooperation among the members of the European Network of Fugitive Active Search Teams (ENFAST).

The suspect was charged in Sweden for attempted murder against his wife. He was on the run since 2016 and featured on “Europe’s Most Wanted” website, run by ENFAST with the support of Europol.

On 7 June 2016, the suspect attempted to murder his wife in Björkerydsvägen, Sweden, attacking her with an axe. His victim was left seriously injured. After he evaded justice, a European Arrest Warrant was issued against him.

The investigation revealed that the suspect had assumed a false identity and was hiding in Austria. On this basis, the Fugitive Active Search Team of the Austrian Bundeskriminalamt was approached by its Swedish counterpart. The investigators later located the suspect in Vienna where he was arrested this week.

ENFAST is a network of police officers from the 28 EU Member States and associated states specialised in undertaking immediate action to locate and arrest fugitives. In early 2016, this network created a website sharing information on high-profile internationally wanted criminals, where the public can help police trace these most wanted fugitives.