A Swedish court on Thursday found a 15-year-old boy guilty of possessing a semi-automatic weapon while en route to the Israeli embassy in Stockholm. This verdict comes just weeks after Sweden’s intelligence agency alleged that Iran had been recruiting gang members to target Israeli interests within the country.
The teenager was apprehended on May 16 when police stopped a taxi in the Tyresö suburb south of Stockholm, on its way to the Israeli embassy. Authorities discovered the firearm concealed in the boy’s jacket.
In court, the 15-year-old testified that he was instructed to collect an item from Tyresö for delivery. Initially, he believed he was retrieving drugs but realized it was a firearm only when he arrived to pick it up. He also stated that he learned his destination was the Israeli embassy only upon entering the taxi, which had been arranged by a woman whose identity remains unknown.
The taxi driver corroborated the teen’s account, confirming that the woman provided the embassy address. Although the boy claimed he felt deceived, he proceeded with the delivery.
Evidence from the boy’s smartphone showed he had researched the route to the embassy, leading the Nacka district court to conclude that he “knew that the trip was going to the embassy even if he was unable to give the taxi driver an address.”
The court noted that the weapon’s intended use was unclear, but its discovery on the way to the embassy suggested potential criminal intent. However, the court emphasized there was “no investigation in the case about what was actually planned to happen” that night. The reason for the police stop remains undisclosed.
This conviction follows Sweden’s intelligence agency, Sapo, accusing Iran of enlisting gang members, including minors, for violent acts against perceived threats in Sweden, particularly targeting Israeli and Jewish interests. On May 30, Sapo highlighted Iran’s strategy to recruit these individuals as proxies to carry out attacks.
Earlier in the year, on January 31, a live grenade was discovered on the grounds of the Israeli embassy compound in Stockholm, heightening concerns about security threats to Israeli interests in the country.
The 15-year-old has been sentenced to 11 months of juvenile supervision for the offense. Meanwhile, a separate investigation is ongoing regarding a 14-year-old boy arrested following a shooting near the Israeli embassy the night after the first arrest.
The case underscores increasing tensions and the complex security challenges involving international diplomatic missions in Sweden.
