Swedish police foil armed gang's heist

A gang tried to blast its way into a depot full of cash in northern Sweden yesterday before police opened fire to foil the robbery, injuring one suspect, authorities said.

The gang set off explosives outside the warehouse belonging to cash courier company Loomis Sweden in Umeaa, some 650 kilometres from the capital of Stockholm, said police Superintendent Bertil Olofsson.

Local police were quickly on the scene and started firing at the gang members, injuring one, said Supt Olofsson, head of Swedish national police's counter terrorism and organised crime unit.

He said that an unknown number of gang members had fled the scene and were still on the run.

"We have not caught any more people, the hunt is still on," Supt Olofsson said.

Umeaa police spokesman Dan Andersson said four people had been arrested at the scene, one of whom was being treated in hospital for gunshot wounds.

"One was injured in a gunfight when police arrived at the scene," Mr Andersson said.

Mr Andersson also said that a small minibus exploded outside Umeaa police station at the same time, which he said was "almost certainly" linked to the robbery.

Sweden's rapid response unit, the National Task Force, were sent to Umeaa after police received a tip-off about the gang's scheme to rob the Loomis depot.

Stefan Wikman, a Loomis Sweden executive, said the suspects set off explosives outside the entrance doors, but no members of staff had been harmed.