Swedish socialite charged in murder conspiracy in Australia

A Swedish-born Sydney socialite was ordered to remain in police custody Tuesday after she was charged with conspiring to murder two people and soliciting an undercover police agent to carry out the planned slayings.

Charlotte Karin Maria Lindstrom, 22, was among five people arrested over the weekend in police raids targeting organized crime rings in New South Wales and Victoria states.

Officials allege Lindstrom and another man, Dennis Basic, 27, conspired to murder two people slated to be prosecution witnesses in another case that police did not specify.

Prosecutors also accused Lindstrom of two counts of soliciting to murder after she allegedly approached an undercover police operative about killing the two witnesses.

Documents submitted to Sydney Local Court described Lindstrom as "a principal in the organization of the intended murders." Police did not provide any further details of the alleged plot.

She was also charged with possession of 0.3 grams (0.01 ounces) of cocaine.

Lindstrom was not required to appear in court and her lawyer did not enter a plea on her behalf or otherwise comment on the accusations.

Originally from Stockholm, Lindstrom has lived in Australia for the past two years. The blonde is a regular at high-profile social events and has also appeared in the social pages of Sydney's newspapers.

Magistrate Alan Moore ordered Lindstrom to remain in police custody until her bail hearing on Thursday.