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Swedish Police: Man Suspected of Setting Cars Afire in Sweden Detained in Turkey

STOCKHOLM (Sputnik) - The Turkish police on Tuesday evening detained a man suspected of burning cars in the Swedish city of Gothenburg in West Sweden region, West Sweden's police said on Wednesday.
Sputnik

"A 20-year-old man, who has been arrested in absentia, was detained by the Turkish police yesterday evening. He is suspected of arson with a possible threat to human life, health, and property," the police said in a statement.

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On Tuesday, local police said that about 80 cars had been set on fire on Monday night in several districts of West Sweden, including in the city of Trollhattan, near Gothenburg. According to the authorities, two groups of up to 10 masked men had been seen in two districts of Gothenburg, while a larger group of 30 to 40 people had been spotted in the city of Trollhattan.

Police suspected that the incidents could have been coordinated via social media, as most of the fires broke out within a short interval. Two men aged 16 and 21 have already been arrested by Swedish police on suspicion of arson, according to media reports.

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Sweden has been struggling with the problem of car arson and aggressive youth for years, with arson most likely to be committed at the beginning of the school year.

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