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Police Crack Down on Organized Crime

Sweden’s Gun Violence Soars

Sweden is the only country in Europe where fatal shootings have increased significantly since 2000, according to a recent report by the Swedish national council for crime prevention (BRA) which has analyzed 22 European countries. In less than a decade, Sweden has gone from one of the lowest rates of gun violence in Europe to one of the highest, surpassing Italy and eastern Europe.

Between 2000 and 2003, Sweden was 18th out of the 22 countries for deadly shootings per capita. But since then deadly shootings have increased, more than doubling between 2011 and 2019, now accounting for 40 percent of violent deaths. Data from 20142017 put Sweden in second place in Europe. Only Croatia had more gun deaths per capita. In 2018, Sweden topped the ranking.

“The increase in gun homicide in Sweden is closely linked to criminal milieux in socially disadvantaged areas,” the report said, attributing more than eight out of 10 shootings to organised crime.

Sweden, with a population of merely 10 million people recorded more than 360 incidents involving guns, including 47 deaths and 117 people injured in 2020.

In June, Swedish police performed one of the most extensive strikes ever in intelligence-led police operations against violent crime and drug networks. More than 800 arrests were made across 16 countries, with 155 of them in Sweden.

“Many of them with essential roles and heavy influence on the drug market. Those who instigate murders and violence, by shootings and explosions, right in the middle of the Swedish society,” said Linda Staaf, head of intelligence at the Swedish police.

Using encrypted phones, planted by the FBI, Swedish police was able to hone in on key players and prevent more than 10 planned murders within Sweden, according to Staaf.

Hundreds Arrested in Police Raids COVID-19 Support Packages Evaluated

Sweden’s Fiscal Policy Council has criticized the government for its lackluster support for business during the pandemic. Small business owners received support too late and there were too many changes to the guidelines creating unnecessary uncertainty. Follow-up and evaluation were also considered poor.

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