More than 300 Swedish politicians have had links to people at the heart of organized crime. This is according to a new report based on police data and public records. The report also points out how criminal networks have gotten close to businesses, welfare and public services.
The reports Community-wide situational awareness of organized crime is based on information on more than 50,000 people who, according to the Swedish Police Authority and Acta Publica, are considered to be involved in organized crime in Sweden.
When the researchers compared the data with records of politicians, they found 313 people who had held political office in municipalities and regions. Of these, 73 were still in office when the current parliamentary term began in 2022.
– That the number was so large is surprising, says the National Crown Bailiff Fredrik Rosengren to Svenska Dagbladet (SvD).
Networks far beyond the gangs
The report is not primarily about shootings and explosions. Instead, it focuses on how criminal networks make contacts in ordinary parts of society.
The researchers describe how organized crime figures are present in businesses, working life, welfare systems and local politics. The wider circle mapped is linked to around 40 percent of all registered criminal suspicions in Sweden during the period 1995-2023.
The criminologist Amir Rostami says that these are people close to the core of organized crime.
- So we're not just talking about distant links or family ties to criminals. We are talking about the core of organized crime.
Public money identified as a risk
In particular, the report highlights public procurement as a weak point. Companies with links to the criminal underworld have been present both as suppliers and in businesses buying services with taxpayers' money.
The researchers therefore point to several possible measures: better controls on companies, tougher scrutiny in procurement and better cooperation between authorities. According to the report, this is needed to make it harder for criminal networks to gain influence over public money and important societal functions.
