The Helicopter Heist ending explained: Did the robbers get caught?
The Helicopter Heist is a Swedish crime drama series created and written by Ronnie Sandahl. It was released on November 15, 2024, at the Stockholm International Film Festival and on Netflix on November 22, 2024.
The Helicopter Heist is based on the 2009 Västberga helicopter robbery in which the robbers used a stolen helicopter to flee from the authorities. Swedish author Jonas Bonnier captured the entire ordeal in a novel that was released in 2017. The series is adapted from Bonnier's novel.
In the series, a group of men come together to rob a cash depot of a private security company and use a helicopter to escape with the loot. However, in the end, all the robbers are caught and sent to prison.
The series is produced by B-Reel Film, who secured the rights to the novel in 2022. It stars Mahmut Suvakci, Ardalan Esmaili, Iskra Kostić, and Dejan Milačić in lead roles.
The robbers of The Helicopter Heist were caught
The series tells the story of a unique robbery that occurred on September 23, 2009, in which the cash depot of a private security company was robbed. The robbery turned sensational when the robbers used a helicopter to escape after committing the crime. However, despite their extensive planning, the robbers made multiple blunders in execution which ultimately led to their arrest.
Alex Broberg was brought in to pilot the helicopter after the main pilot turned out to be an informant working for the Serbian government. Alex was a drug addict who owed a lot of money to some dangerous people. He saw participating in the robbery as an opportunity to settle his debts, but on the day of action, he panicked.
Firstly, he texted his wife from his personal mobile phone during the heist, which was evidence enough for the authorities to tie him to the robbery. Secondly, he did not land the helicopter on the decided spot which was Kanaan Beach. Instead, he panicked once again seeing three armed men coming toward him and flew the helicopter to Vallentuna.
He was supposed to burn the helicopter after landing, but he didn't. The helicopter provided the police with DNA evidence which ultimately led them to the robbers.
Rami Farhan got the longest prison sentence in The Helicopter Heist
At the end of The Helicopter Heist, all the people involved in the robbery were arrested. It was only Rami Farhan who pleaded guilty to the charges and was given eight years imprisonment. Police had conclusive evidence against him as his DNA samples were found in five different spots near the cash depot.
Rami had already been involved in the 2000 Swedish National Museum robbery and was arrested, due to which his blood sample was already in the police records. After the robbery, he flew to the Dominican Republic, from where he was ultimately arrested. He confessed to the robbery but refused to name any accomplices.
Michel Maloof was arrested on a highway and was charged with aggravated robbery, but his presence in the depot was never proven so he got a shorter sentence. Niklas Larsson was sentenced to prison for accessory to robbery. His presence at the cash depot was also never proven.
Axel Broberg was sentenced to prison for aggravated robbery despite pleading not guilty. Zoran Petrovic was sentenced to prison for accessory to aggravated robbery.
What happened to the stolen money in The Helicopter Heist?
The Helicopter Heist ends with the information that the stolen money was never found. However, throughout the series, some pieces of information have been provided, which might interest a conspiracy theory enthusiast.
Michel, the mastermind of the heist used to hide his money inside the wall of a vacant property, while Zoran Petrovic would put bundles of money in glass jars and hide it inside the ground. As Michel was the most connected person in the group, he probably helped to launder the robbery money.
Rami left the country immediately after the robbery so he probably didn't get a chance to hide his share. Maybe after his release from prison, he got his money. One might never know what happened to the money, but in the legal records, the 39 million Swedish Krona were gone.
The Helicopter Heist is currently streaming on Netflix.
