A massive pension fraud scandal in Sweden has taken a chilling twist. Two main suspects, already indicted for swindling millions from elderly Swedes, are now under investigation for the suspected murder of two Swedish citizens in Ethiopia.
District Prosecutor Linda Wiking revealed that charges were filed in late March at the Gothenburg District Court, targeting 14 individuals—ten men and four women—accused of orchestrating a sophisticated phone scam. The ring allegedly defrauded 139 pensioners of nearly 17 million kronor (about €1.6 million) using illegal call centers spread across multiple countries including Cyprus, Egypt, the UAE, Malta, Thailand, and the United States.
At the center of the case are 24-year-old Nathnael Merkonen, originally from Eritrea but a Swedish citizen since 2015, and a 23-year-old Swedish-born man with Guinean heritage. While Merkonen has a criminal history, his alleged accomplice does not.
The pair reportedly recruited several Swedes to operate call centers overseas, luring elderly victims with convincing tactics. But as investigators dug deeper into the international scam, the case veered into more sinister territory.
Authorities now suspect the duo of murdering two young Swedish men, both born in the late 1990s, who vanished while working in Ethiopia in March 2022. The victims, hired to work at one of the group’s Ethiopian call centers, haven’t been seen or heard from since.
Though Ethiopia wasn’t originally listed in the fraud case, prosecutors confirmed that the country was involved in the broader web of criminal activity. “The idea was that they would work there,” Wiking said, referring to the slain victims.
This week, Merkonen and his co-defendant were formally arrested on murder charges. They’re also facing allegations of kidnapping and rape, although details remain tightly guarded due to the ongoing investigation.
“We’ve gathered enough to justify the suspicions—interrogations, location data, and even a video clip,” said Wiking. However, she declined to elaborate on the footage or specifics of the evidence, citing the need to avoid influencing future witnesses.
With both suspects now behind bars, prosecutors are moving carefully to control communication and prevent information leaks. What started as a high-stakes financial crime has now become a deeply troubling case of international intrigue, betrayal—and possibly, cold-blooded murder.
