Alleged Saab blackmailer charged in Sweden

GOTHENBURG, Sweden, Oct. 7 (UPI) -- Swedish authorities say they have filed blackmail charges against an engineer who allegedly tried to coerce $2.3 million from Saab Microwave Systems.

Officials of Sapo, Sweden's national security police, say Tomas Lindstrand, 48, demanded the money from Saab in Gothenburg, Sweden, in exchange for proprietary documents he claimed to possess. Lindstrand has been jailed since July, the Swedish news agency Tidningarnas Telegrambyra reported Tuesday.

Authorities allege that between December 2007 and last July, the engineer negotiated with company representatives for the payments. He was arrested when he arrived at an arranged drop-off point in Gothenburg, TT said.

"We view this incident very seriously and consider it positive that the case has come to trial so soon," Saab Group Senior Vice President of Communications Cecilia Schon Jansson said in a statement.