A 33-year-old man recently died in a car crash in County Limerick, Ireland.
Police believe that he and an accomplice were on their way to carry out a contract killing for Irish criminal networks. NTB consistently refers to them as “Swedish”, but the deceased has been identified as Axel Erick Wolfgang Liebsch Morales, who was of South American – most likely Chilean – background, writes The Irish Times.
According to the Irish authorities, Morales held a Swedish passport, but his family is of Chilean origin. He was already known to the Swedish police and, in the weeks leading up to his death, had been advertising himself as a travelling barber in the Stockholm area.
Swedish police quickly confirmed to the Irish authorities that Morales had travelled to Ireland to carry out a paid assassination.
The other man in the car, who according to Irish media is also a Swedish citizen, fled the crash scene and remains at large. Police believe he has received assistance from the Irish criminal masterminds in staying hidden. He is also wanted in Finland on suspicion of murder there.
Morales was found with a balaclava and a loaded pistol at his feet. A spare magazine was also found there.
The car’s GPS showed that they were heading for Rathkeale in Limerick, where the intended victim lived. The target was part of an ongoing gang feud between two Irish criminal groups, and only two elderly people were at home when the killing had been planned to take place.
Norwegian media have consistently referred to the two men as “Swedish”, without informing readers that the deceased was of South American background.
It is worth noting that, in recent years, Sweden has become the centre of what has been described as one of Europe’s worst waves of contract killings, most often carried out by young men of foreign background.