Swedish Police Enhance Strategies to Extradite Criminals Abroad
Swedish police intensify efforts to extradite 700 criminals living abroad amid rising crime rates.
Key Points
- • 700 identified Swedish criminals abroad involved in crime in Sweden
- • New police collaboration with Iraq, UAE, Morocco, and Turkey
- • Arrests of Swedish criminals outside Schengen increased from 7 to 29
- • Emerging trend of 'crime as a service' complicates law enforcement
Swedish law enforcement's renewed focus on extraditing criminals has intensified, with a recent report identifying 700 Swedish criminals residing abroad connected to ongoing criminal activities in Sweden. This announcement, made on May 28, 2025, highlights the police’s active collaboration with countries such as Iraq, the UAE, Morocco, and Turkey to facilitate these extraditions.
Deputy Chief of Police Stefan Hector emphasized the determination to pursue these criminals globally, stating, "We will chase them to wherever they are, even to the ends of the earth if necessary." The initiative follows a significant uptick in arrests of Swedish criminals outside the Schengen Area, climbing from just seven in the previous year to 29 already in 2025.
A key concern for the police is the emergence of "crime as a service," which allows criminals to coordinate violent activities in Sweden remotely through encrypted platforms. Police officials have recently visited Dubai and Iraq and are planning further trips to Turkey and Morocco, which have been noted for their substantial populations of Swedish criminals.
Despite historical challenges in securing extraditions—especially concerning individuals holding dual citizenship—Hector expressed optimism about the cooperation from foreign police forces, recognizing that these individuals also create problems in their own jurisdictions. This story underlines the significant interstate collaboration required to tackle the increasingly international implications of crime.