Sweden Counts Over 17,000 Active Gang Criminals, Police Reveal

Sweden, a nation of 10.6 million people, is now home to approximately 17,500 active gang criminals, according to figures released by national police on Friday. Authorities estimate that around 50,000 individuals in total have direct or indirect connections to organised crime networks.

The Scandinavian country has been grappling with a sharp rise in gang-related violence for over a decade. Daily shootings and bombings, often tied to disputes over drug territory and revenge attacks, have become a grim feature of Swedish life.

A government-commissioned report last year placed the number of gang members at around 14,000. However, Police Commissioner Petra Lundh explained during a press conference that the latest figure reflects changes in calculation methods rather than a clear increase.

“We do not see any definite indications of growth or decline, even though this year’s numbers appear higher,” Lundh told reporters. She added that the assessment is “likely conservative,” as police use “strict criteria for what qualifies as active involvement.”

She further warned that both the number of active criminals and those linked to gang activities “remain far too high.”

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s right-wing government, which took office in 2022, has vowed to take tougher measures against organised crime. His administration has expanded police powers and launched reforms aimed at tackling youth involvement in criminal activity.

Among the new initiatives are proposals to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13, create special prison wings for young offenders, abolish lenient sentencing for juveniles, and permit police to use coercive measures against minors to identify senior gang figures.

Sweden has seen a slight fall in fatal shootings but a marked increase in bomb attacks, with explosions now occurring almost daily in some areas — sometimes injuring or killing innocent bystanders.

Lundh acknowledged that while the number of prosecutions had risen, enforcement alone would not be enough to curb the crisis. “We can conclude that this type of crime, which poses a direct threat to society, cannot simply be prosecuted away,” she said. “Preventive work is essential, especially to stop the flow of children and young people being drawn into criminal groups.”