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I Was Forced, Says Nuclear Terrorist

STOCKHOLM, Sweden -- A man accused of threatening to blow up a Lithuanian nuclear power plant claimed Tuesday that a "mafia" group forced him to make the threat.


The man, Kestutis Mazuika, 52, from Lithuania, was arrested last week after walking into the Swedish prime minister's office and threatening to blow up the Ignalina plant unless he was paid $8 million.


After the man was arrested, authorities in Lithuania received more terrorist threats, including one by the father of a convicted mafia boss, so they shut down both nuclear reactors to search for explosives at the facility, 200 kilometers from Vilnius.


No bombs have been found as of Tuesday evening.


"He was forced to do this. He felt he was threatened," defense lawyer Gunner Berg told Swedish television reporters.

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