According to police figures, 188 members of Swedish criminal gangs have been arrested abroad this year, which is almost 20% more than last year.
Johan Olsson, head of the Swedish police’s National Operations Department (NOA), stated that these figures were achieved thanks to international co-operation. He said that foreign security forces often respond very promptly when violence perpetrated by Swedish gangs threatens to spread to their own countries.
The Swedish police’s strategy focuses on apprehending major ringleaders living abroad who continue to co-ordinate contract killings, bombings and mass shootings within Sweden. The latest figures indicate a significant increase compared with the 157 arrests recorded during the same period in 2025.
The most recent arrest of a high-ranking gang member was that of Emin Muqa Kulic, 21, from the Dalen gang network, who was arrested by the Spanish police near Barcelona and was listed as one of Europol’s most wanted criminals. In total, 33 Swedish nationals have been arrested in Spain.
The Swedish police believe that the scale of the problem remains enormous, as there are now some 800 Swedish criminals living abroad who are actively involved in the activities of local gangs. “It never ends. There are always new players. There is no list we can simply tick off,” Olsson warned.
