Swedish gang leader given life sentence in Iraq for drug trafficking

Ali Shehab Ahmed, a prominent figure in Sweden's Foxtrot criminal gang, has been sentenced to life in prison by an Iraqi court, according to Swedish prosecutors. Shehab, who is also accused in Sweden of ordering a mass shooting of six young individuals in Gävle last year, was apprehended by Iraqi authorities in early December. Swedish state prosecutor Helene Gestrin confirmed the news to the TT news agency, explaining that a life sentence in Iraq bars the convicted individual from committing further crimes on Swedish soil.

Shehab, aged 22, is considered a crucial member of Foxtrot, closely linked to the gang's leader Rawa Majid, who is presently thought to reside in Iran. Gestrin informed TT that Shehab has been charged in his absence for orchestrating murders in Lund, Gävle, and Norsborg, alongside a host of other grave offenses. From his Iraqi hideout, she stated, he allegedly attempted to incite young people in Sweden to commit a series of murders via social media.

Shehab, or another individual, reportedly contacted these individuals over social media, subsequently providing instructions on how, where, and with what to commit the acts. Swedish prosecutors have yet to receive detailed information on the specific charges Shehab faces in Iraq, though it is suspected he may be guilty of drug-related crimes connected to Swedish gang activity, according to Gestrin.

She also noted that Swedish and Iraqi police had collaborated closely on the case. The impact of Shehab's imprisonment on ongoing investigations implicating him remains uncertain.