Stockholm has accused Tehran of using criminal networks in Sweden to target Israeli or Jewish interests in the Scandinavian country. The accusations were made by Sweden’s domestic security agency at a news conference led by Daniel Stenling, head of the SAPO agency’s counterespionage unit. They came after a series of incidents earlier this year.
This includes the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm being sealed off in late January after what was then described as “a dangerous object” was found on the grounds of the diplomatic mission in a neighbourhood in the Swedish capital. Local media said the object was a hand grenade.
The embassy wasn’t evacuated and the object was eventually destroyed. No arrests were made and the authorities did not confirm what was found. Gunshots were heard near the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm and the area was cordoned off on May 17. Again, no one was arrested.
Mr Stenling said that the agency “can establish that criminal networks in Sweden are used as a proxy by Iran“, but he didn’t offer any specifics or evidence to back up his claim.
He said: “It is very much about planning and attempts to carry out attacks against Israeli and Jewish interests, goals and activities in Sweden.”
The spy chief added that the agency sees “connections between criminal individuals in the criminal networks and individuals who are connected to the Iranian security services”.
Sweden’s Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer and Hampus Nygårds, Deputy Head of the Swedish police’s National Operations Department, were at the online news conference with Mr Stenling.
He said: “We see this connection between the Iranian intelligence services, the security services and precisely criminals in the criminal networks in Sweden.
“We see that connection and it also means that we need to work much more internationally to get to the crimes and be able to prevent them.”
Mr Stenling and the other officials at the briefing made no mention of recent incidents connected to the Israeli Embassy and stopped short of naming any criminal groups or suspects.
Sweden has grappled with gang violence for years with criminal groups often recruiting teenagers in socially disadvantaged, immigrant neighbourhoods to carry out hits.
Police have recorded 85 shootings so far this year, including 12 fatal shootings. Fifty-three people were killed and 109 were wounded in a total of 363 shootings in 2023.
Two main gangs – the Foxtrot network headed by Rawa Majid who lives in exile in Turkey and its rival Rumba – have been involved in deadly feuds for years. Ankara rejected Sweden’s request to have Majid, a Swedish citizen, extradited because he also holds Turkish citizenship.
Mr Stenling said there was no reason to change the terror threat level in Sweden. It was raised to “high” last year – the fourth of five levels – for the first time since 2016. That came in the wake of security deteriorating after public burnings of Islam’s holy book, the Quran, triggered protests in the Muslim world.
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