Swedish police describe Shafie as a close associate of Rawa Majid, known as the "Kurdish Fox," who is identified as a leading figure in the Foxtrot criminal network.
| ... a dominant force in Sweden’s criminal underworld since the late 2010s... |
Senior prosecutor Lukas Tigerstrand, who brought the case before the court, said the charges relate to major
"Poya Shafie is now charged with, among other things, incitement to attempted murder, preparation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, incitement to commit serious public destruction and aggravated weapons offenses," the Swedish outlet said in its report on Wednesday.
According to the indictment, Shafie is alleged to have operated under the alias "Hamado" and led or coordinated a criminal group involved in drug trafficking, attempted murder, violence, and bombings across Stockholm and other parts of Sweden. Prosecutors say the alias appears repeatedly in investigations connected to a wider wave of gang violence in 2023 and 2024.
A key piece of evidence presented in court involves messages from the encrypted Signal messaging app. In one message attributed to "Hamado," he writes to another individual: "Brother, it must be blown up." Investigators say the message referred to a planned bombing targeting the home of relatives of a rival gang member.
Shafie and his legal counsel have denied all charges.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that prosecutors believe Shafie played a central coordinating role in several
Prosecutors also allege that criminal activity linked to "Hamado" included incidents in Stockholm districts such as Enskededalen, Skarpnack, and Vallingby, as well as bombings and shootings in Sundsvall. The trial, which began this week, is expected to last approximately one month.
The case is closely linked to broader investigations into the Foxtrot network, which Swedish authorities and international partners have described as a major transnational criminal organization involved in drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and
Shafie’s trial comes amid wider operations targeting Foxtrot-linked figures.
Earlier this year, the Kurdistan Region Security Agency (Asayish) said in a statement that it had arrested a senior Foxtrot-linked suspect, describing him as "the leader of a dangerous international gang" following coordinated intelligence work. The agency added that the group had "committed numerous crimes across several countries," and warned that "the criminal gang intended to use Iraqi territory to carry out its criminal activities."
The arrest, later confirmed by the Swedish Police Authority as Ali Shehab, was carried out in December 2025 as a result of "long-term and in-depth cooperation between the Swedish Police Authority and Iraqi counterparts."
Swedish authorities have also emphasized that cooperation with Iraqi security institutions has been central to a series of recent arrests involving Foxtrot-linked suspects, including individuals accused of recruiting minors to carry out
Last year, Washington imposed sanctions on Rawa Majid over his reported involvement in arms and drug trafficking, as well as his cooperation with Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneouslytaking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet
militiasto extend the regime's influence. The word
Iranis a cognate form of
Aryan.The abbreviation
IRGCis the same idea as
Stürmabteilung (or SA).The term
Supreme Guideis a the modern version form of either
Duceor
Führeror maybe both. They hate
in "attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets."
| An all around bad guy, not limiting himself to one area of endeavour. |
Rubio added that Majid cooperated with the Iranian intelligence ministry, which is already under US sanctions.
| Update from the Sweden Herald at 7:45 p.m. EDT |
According to authorities, Shafie has been one of the closest henchmen of internationally wanted Foxtrot leader Rawa Majid. He has been seen in pictures with Majid and the rest of Foxtrot's inner circle, including in Iraq.
He was arrested in Iraq in the fall of 2023 and was detained in the country until he was extradited to Sweden in October last year.
CRIME FROM 2023
When the war between Foxtrot and the Dalen network reached its peak in 2023, Shafie was one of the leading figures, prosecutors say. Almost all of the crimes for which he is now charged are linked to the bloody conflict, which among other things concerns the drug market in Sundsvall.
The list of charges is long.
These include three counts of incitement to attempted murder, two counts of preparation for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, incitement to commit a serious crime under the Flammable and Explosive Goods Act, as well as a serious drug offense.
Under the alias "Hamado", Shafie has ordered acts of violence via chat groups on Signal, which were then carried out by young perpetrators, according to the indictment.
SHOOT “ANYONE”
On January 21, 2023, two 15-year-olds were ordered to go to Enskededalen in southern Stockholm to shoot “anyone” wearing an expensive jacket or a Gucci cap. A young man who fit the description was shot and escaped with only minor injuries. According to the indictment, it was Shafie who ordered the act.
In January of the same year, Shafie allegedly persuaded recruited perpetrators to place a powerful explosive device on a balcony in Sundsvall. The intended residence was home to the mother of a person linked to the Dalen network, but the bomb was placed on the wrong balcony.
However, the explosive charge was defective and no one was injured. A few days later, another attempt was made at the "correct" balcony, but the charge did not detonate either, according to the indictment.
| Last October The Local.se added to their report about Mr. Shafie: |
The extradition is the latest in a series of recent arrests of high-profile gang members. A 26-year-old gang member from Malmö was arrested on arrival at Copenhagen Airport on Thursday.
The man is suspected of leading an extortion racket that led to a hand grenade attack on an apartment in Stora Högestensgatan over the summer.
A week ago, the police extradited Mikael 'The Greek' Tenezos from Mexico. Ismail 'The Strawberry' Abdo has been held in Turkey since June.
“In a short time, several gang criminals with a major impact on crime in Sweden have been arrested in various countries through international cooperation,” Deputy National Police Chief Stefan Hector wrote in a press release.
| Also last October, from the New Region in Erbil: |
Earlier the same month, Turkish authorities arrested Ismail Abdo, another Swedish gang leader and former associate of Majid. Abdo, wanted for drug trafficking and violent crimes, was detained alongside 19 others as part of a joint investigation between Turkish and Swedish law enforcement.
“My message to serious criminals hiding abroad is clear: Now we are coming for you, one by one. This is just the beginning. We will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you. And we will seize your assets,” said Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer according to the country’s commercial TV4 News.