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The 39-year-old man from Uzbekistan, who drove the truck into a crowd killing four people on Friday, was wanted in connection with a deportation order. Jan Evensson, the police Regional Strategic Commander told a news conference that the suspect had applied for asylum in Sweden but was rejected. He said: "He has applied for permanent residence in Sweden and he was denied that. He was wanted by police though he has not been in custody of the migration office."

Twitter Swedish police said that the terror suspect was a 'failed asylum seeker'

Jonas Hysing of Sweden's national police said the suspect had applied for asylum in 2014 but his request was rejected in June 2016. He was told that he would have to leave the country but police could not find him for deportation because he was not at the address he had given. Mr Hysing said: "The Migration Agency rejected [his application] in June 2016 and also decided that he was to be expelled." "In December 2016, he was informed by the Migration Agency that he had four weeks to leave the country.

Police handout Shortly after the attack police released this CCTV image of the suspect in the Stockholm attack

In February 2017, the case was handed over to the police to carry out the order. Mr Hysing added that the man had links to extremist groups. He said: "We know he has been sympathetic to extremist organizations." But in an intelligence blunder, there was no specific information on his links to extremism from Migrationsverket or security services added to the deportation information, according to news agency TT.

AFP A police photographer takes pictures at an apartment block in Stockholm after raids

Police confirmed that five more people have been questioned in connection with the deadly attack on Friday along with 500 others. He said the four victims killed in the Stockholm attack included one person from Britain, one from Belgium and two Swedes.

The terror suspect was taken into custody on Friday. He was arrested and held on suspicion of “terrorist crimes through murder.” Police must bring him to court to appear before a judge by midday on Monday. A second suspect has also been arrested, police confirmed on Sunday.

AFP People gathered for a memorial service in Sergelstorg, the central square next to Drottningg

"Seven people have been brought in for questioning as a result of these events," Hysing told public broadcaster SVT, after several raids on addresses around Stockholm over the weekend. Hysing declined to give further information about the raids, but said "the evidence looks very strong" that the Uzbek man was the driver of the hijacked truck. Vehicles have also been used as weapons in Nice and Berlin in the past year in attacks claimed by Islamic State militants.

EPA This is the truck that mowed down pedestrians in a busy shopping street in Stockholm