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Gang hijacked Malmö grocery store and ran it as normal for a day

Four men have been remanded in custody after they forcefully evicted shop workers in a Malmö grocery store – only to keep running the store themselves before police arrived to put an end to it.

Published: 17 October 2017 08:40 CEST

Gang hijacked Malmö grocery store and ran it as normal for a day

File photo of a shopping basket. Photo: Andreas Apell/TT

The gang had threatened the owners on several previous occasions to blackmail them for money, without success, and last week they returned to the store, reports the Sydsvenskan newspaper.

“They went into the store and took it over. That is, they threw out the people working there and continued to run the store and sell goods. They hijacked a grocery store!” local police station chief Mats Attin told Sydsvenskan after his officers were alerted by the owners.

“They got in touch and we went there in plain clothes and sure enough, these four people were inside. They had been restocking shelves, and we've caught it on video. It went on for at least 24 hours,” he said, incredulous. “I've been in Malmö for a long time, but never seen anything like this.”

The men are in their 20s. One of them, thought to be the leader, has a string of previous convictions, reports Sydsvenskan. He is from Malmö's Seved district, where he and a relative are understood to have been responsible for much of the area's criminality.

On Monday Malmö District Court remanded the men on suspicion of aggravated blackmail and aggravated unlawful dispossession.

Five cocktail bars in Malmö to try for pre-dinner drinks

Care/of

This award-winning cocktail bar tucked away next to a barber’s shop is a must for any fans of cocktails. It’s tiny, so make sure to make a reservation if you want to be sure to get a seat.

Their cocktails are a mix of classic drinks and their own inventions, including the Guess what?, an ever-changing cocktail made up of whatever the bartender creates that day, as well as a few mocktails, beers and wines.

Want something special or a classic drink not on their menu? Just ask the bartender and they’ll make it for you.

At around 160 kronor for a cocktail, this is maybe not the kind of place you stay in all evening, but is a perfect place to have a couple of drinks before a concert at Malmö Live, which is just around the corner.

They serve small bites for 120 kronor or hotdogs for 100 kronor, so probably best to go somewhere else for dinner.

Address: Fiskehamnspromenaden 11c

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 4pm-late, with a cocktail brunch on Saturdays from 12-3pm

MALMÖ NIGHTLIFE:

BISe

BISe, short for Bisous, the French word for a kiss on the cheek, is a restaurant, wine bar and cocktail bar in the city centre which opened in 2022.

Not only is the food good, but the drinks are too – BISe was nominated in the “sommeliers’ drink experience” category at the Swedish Gastronomy awards in 2023 and again this year.

The bar, Bar Bisou, serves traditional cocktails with BISe’s own twist, which change with the seasons. Why not try a Negroni with Meyer lemons and Sicilian blood orange, a vegan White Russian with BISe’s own coffee liqueur, or the inventively-titled Istället för Old Fashioned (“Instead of Old Fashioned”) with homemade raspberry vinegar and fig leaves? They even have a couple of mocktails, like a non-alcoholic negroni (a NOgroni), and spritz from Scanian producers Franka.

Address: Norra Vallgatan 88

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 3pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 3pm-midnight

Boulebar

This might seem like a bit of an odd option on a list of cocktail bars, but Boulebar is more than just a place to go to play a few rounds of petanque. Their cocktail list is small but perfectly formed, like their Angélique Papon with gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, cucumber and lime, or their Pommango Spritz, with vodka, apple, mango and crémant. You can also get a glass of pastis to enjoy while you boule if that’s more your thing.

Address: Drottningtorget 8 or Norra Parkgatan 6

Opening hours: Drottningtorget: Mon-Weds 3pm-11pm, Thurs-Fri 3pm-midnight, Saturday 10:30-midnight. Folkets Park opening hours vary depending on season.

Scania

This bar, which has no relation to the truck company, specialises in a frankly bizarre mix of Mexican-Korean fusion, where they serve bibimbap al pastor and burritos with kimchi. The bar, which is situated in the middle of the restaurant, boasts more than 35 different types of tequila, and it’s perhaps not a surprise that so many of their cocktails include tequila, too.

Here, you can try a chili margarita with a gochugaru-salted rim, or order a pitcher of the spicy Mexican beer and tomato-juice based cocktail michelada to share while you tuck into some kimchi fries.

Address: Bergsgatan 18

Opening hours: Tues-Sat 5pm-3am. Lunch Tues-Fri 11:30am-2pm.

KOL

KOL is a meat-centric restaurant specialising in food cooked on the grill – kol is the Swedish word for coal or charcoal.

They have a wide range of drinks to go with your dinner, including wines, beers, non-alcoholic options and, yes, cocktails, which they make using their own freshly-pressed juices. You can choose a pre-dinner cocktail, like the Marilyn Monroe featuring vanilla vodka, passionfruit liqueur and sparkling wine, post dinner cocktails like the Port O’Berry – port spiked with blackberry and raspberry, or a whenever-you-feel-like-it cocktail off their drinks menu. Why not the aptly-name Dala Horse, with Swedish lingonberries paired with vodka, lime and ginger beer, or something from their gin menu, where you can choose from garnishes like dill, coffee beans, juniper and thyme? Don’t feel like cocktails? They have a good wine list too.

Address: Kalendegatan 16

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-late, Fri-Sat 5pm-3am. Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30am-2pm

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