Upamanyu Biswas
Netflix’s ‘The Helicopter Heist’ dives into the true story of a daring 2009 heist undertaken by a group of robbers in Stockholm, Sweden. The show layers the complex nature of the actual robbery through the eyes of those involved, blending an intimate drama with a thriller narrative. At the heart of the story lies Rami Farhan, a family man in dire financial straits, whose desperation leads him to take part in the robbery, albeit costing him personally. Although the series brings everything together through numerous perspectives, Rami’s life and affairs take precedence in a narrative brimming with emotion and intrigue. As such, his point of view brings to light the show’s main themes, whether through an examination of fatherhood and family or the inescapable nature of a criminal lifestyle.
The Real-Life Inspiration of Rami Farhan
While ‘The Helicopter Heist’ is based on the eponymous semi-fictional novel penned by Jonas Bonnier, inspired by the Västberga helicopter robbery, large chunks of the story resemble the real-life events that transpired in the case. However, certain names have been shifted, and backstories have been conceived that may differ from how things played out. The character of Rami Farhan fits in that boat as Bonnier crafted him as a clear stand-in for Safa Kadhum, the Iraqi robber who was involved in the G4S building robbery. His fictional counterpart is shown to be a desperate family man who turned to crime as a way to escape his crippling debt situation. The story also highlights the difficulties he faces as an ethnic minority in Scandinavian society, which helps build a sense of empathy for his plight.
In reality, Kadhum excelled at robbery, having been caught in a couple of heists before the big one that made him infamous in Swedish history. Kadhum was allegedly one of the main participants in the Västberga cash depot robbery of September 23, 2009, which involved the audacious use of a helicopter as a means of breaking and out of the facility. He and several others were later rounded up in the aftermath of an investigation that led to his arrest and a prison term of eight years for charges of aggravated robbery. As depicted in the series, Kadhum’s DNA was found in the facility via traces of blood left behind because of an injury he sustained during the robbery. It was one of the main contributing factors to his downfall.
One inconsistency that crops up in the show is Kadhum’s reasons for leaving the country. The narrative showcases it as a precautionary move to evade the authorities, especially after he finds out that he might have left some blood on-site. His real reasons for leaving the country were reportedly more to do with his pregnant girlfriend at the time, whom he did not wish to involve in his affairs. He traveled to the Dominican Republic as a preventative measure to keep her from finding any reason to end their relationship, which had previously hit rocky patches in its lifetime. Parts of this find their way into the show’s intricate familial drama angle. Kadhum was arrested in a small resort in January 2010 and was sentenced to prison a few months later in October.
Safa Kadhum Maintains a Low Profile Today
After receiving his verdict, Safa Kadhum served his eight-year sentence without too much fuss. As stated in the show’s ending scrawl, which details the fate of each robber, Kadhum never gave up the identities of his accomplices in the heist. In the series, this information comes off as a sign of his loyalty to his brothers in arms. However, in reality, he was allegedly worried that giving up the names of the others involved would lead to severe repercussions for his family and children. It is worth noting that Kadhum’s testimony alleged that he had been forced into taking part in the robbery because of a debt he owed to his creditors, who offered him the chance to clear his dues by participating in the crime.
Today, he is likely to be a free man, having served the full extent of his prison term, give or take any other issues that might have cropped up in the intervening period. While Jonas Bonnier was researching his novel, Safa Kadhum gave him a detailed description of his story through numerous interviews. The book, which was published in 2017, covers Kadhum’s story in a partially fictionalized format told through his counterpart, Rami Farhan. It is difficult to know what Kadhum is up to today as he has adopted a low profile meant to protect his privacy. After bringing the spotlight on his head via the Västberga robbery, he likely prefers a life of anonymity and may have retired to a domestic existence with his girlfriend and children in Stockholm, Sweden.
Read More: The Helicopter Heist’s True Story, Explained
