Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/02/25/shotguntoting_ericsson_gang_tangles/

Shotgun-toting Ericsson gang tangles with Greek SWAT team

Survival of the foolish in Swedish team building, evidently...

By John Lettice

Posted in On-Prem, 25th February 2000 10:43 GMT

A misguided Ericsson team-building exercise almost wound up at the sticky end of a Greek police SWAT team. Two managers from the fun-loving Swedish company decided to see how a busload of Ericsson employees would react to a mock hi-jack, kidnap and robbery. Unfortunately, when the bus, which was travelling between Athens and Corinth, stopped as pre-arranged, and two hooded men with shotguns strode out, a passing motorist spotted the incident. Also unfortunately, and perhaps almost lethally, there have in the past year been two real bus hijackings which resulted in shootouts and deaths. So Corinth police equipped with lethal force rushed to the scene, but luckily didn't rub out the two hooded dummies from Ericsson. They and the travel agency employees who'd been in on the benighted plan spent some time in the slammer before being released. They may still be charged. ®