Hoax bomb rattles Swedish cops

Stockholm - Swedish authorities said on Friday the suspect packet that forced the evacuation of a metro station in central Stockholm, less than two weeks after the country's first suicide bombing, turned out to be a fake bomb.

Stockholm police spokesman Henrik Billestam said: “It looked like a real bomb. Someone made it to frighten people.”

Police described the packet as a object about the size of a milk carton, wrapped with silver adhesive tape with cables connected to a mobile phone.

On Thursday night police completely evacuated the Kungstraedsgaarden metro station and sent in deminers after a train driver alerted authorities to the possible threat.

The metro station is close to the seat of government in the Swedish capital.

Sweden has been on alert since December 11 when a suicide bomber, strongly believed to be Taimour Abdulwahab, first blew up his car and later himself near a crowded pedestrian street in central Stockholm.

He was carrying a cocktail of explosives and police suspect he may have left the crowd of Christmas shoppers due to a problem with the bombs when he mistakenly set off a small charge while standing in an empty side-street.

The bomber was the only person to die in the attack, but two people were slightly injured when his car exploded minutes earlier about 300m away. - Sapa-AFP