 | You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Swedish. (February 2017)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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Although organized crime has always existed in Sweden, it has risen significantly in the 2000s. The number of organized criminal groups operating in the country continues to rise. In 2018, Sweden had the highest gun deaths in total across Europe, and deaths involving guns tripled in Sweden between 2012 and 2020. [1]
Since the 2000s, street gangs in multicultural areas of large cities have become more involved in organized crime including shootings and bombings, with 80% of shootings in Sweden occurring in a “criminal environment” mostly in poorer multicultural neighborhoods according to the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (2022). As the financial stakes have risen, so have the disputes between gangs. [1]
Deaths involving guns tripled in between 2012 and 2020. [1] In 2021, the Swedish teen rapper Einár was shot several times and killed in a suburb of Stockholm. [2] Sweden’s then National Police Commissioner Anders Thornberg told the Financial Times the rising gang violence in Sweden could potentially be a “threat” to its democracy if “certain groups” continue to “stand outside” of society, referring to immigrants in disadvantaged neighborhoods. [1]
Outlaw motorcycle groups such as the Hells Angels and Bandidos are well-established in Sweden. Their membership is increasing and they are reportedly active in organized criminal activities. [3]