A Swedish national wanted by police authorities in Denmark for robbing a Danish bank of more than US$10 million was arrested in the Philippines by elements of the Bureau of Immigration (BI)-Interpol Unit and Philippine Center for Transnational Crimes, it was learned Monday.

BI-Interpol Unit Chief Floro Balato Jr., in his report to BI Commissioner Marcelino Libanan,.identified the suspect as Lukas Hasselgren, 37. Hasselgren was nabbed last Dec. 8 outside his condominium at the Adriatico Place, Tower II, along Adriatico Street, Ermita, Manila.

He added the arrest of Hasselgren was reported before the meeting of sub-committee on international law enforcement cooperation held recently at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Libanan, upon receiving the Interpol’s report, immediately ordered the start of deportation proceedings against the fugitive so he could be deported to Sweden and then to Denmark to stand trial for his crime.

According to the Swedish embassy, Hasselgren is a primary suspect in a robbery that was committed in Denmark in which a security cash center was robbed of more than 60 million Danish crowns (equivalent to US$10,080,000).

Swedish and Danish police have been reportedly hunting down Hasselgren since the suspect and his cohorts allegedly committed the crime on Aug. 8 last year.

Mogens Sorensen of the Nordic police liaison office here thanked Libanan for the BI’s assistance and swift action in arresting the suspect.

“Let me once again on behalf of the police in Denmark and Sweden, expressed my gratitude to you for all the professional assistance (you have) extended to our office,” Sorensen said in his letter to Libanan.

Hasselgren is only the latest among several fugitives who were apprehended by BI operatives since the bureau formed its own BI Interpol unit early this year.

The BI under Libanan has been waging a relentless drive to hunt foreign fugitives hiding in the country in line with his pronounced policy not to allow the country to be used as a sanctuary by wanted alien criminals.

The creation of the unit enabled the BI to establish stronger coordination with its counterparts from the Interpol and other law enforcement agencies here and abroad.

The unit is also responsible for coordinating with the police and intelligence attaches of the different foreign missions stationed in Manila, thus enhancing the agency’s capability in going after foreign fugitives hiding in the country.