The Security Police, Säpo, has previously stated that Iran uses criminal networks in Sweden to carry out various types of violence.
Now TV4 News can tell you that Säpo warns of a new pattern in how foreign power can operate in Sweden.
“The perfect provider for sabotage”
According to information to TV4 News, Säpo has been notified that, unlike Iran’s tactics, Russia has begun to focus on, among other things, people with substance abuse problems or local criminals who engage in so -called quantity offenses, everyday and less serious crimes, to carry out different types of sabotage.
– No one suspects the local crying thief or drug addict. This makes these people the perfect provider for foreign power to implement sabotage, says a source to TV4 News.
According to the same informant, there is concrete information that these persons, for payment, have been hired for sabotage violations.
Police order: “Expect the unexpected”
Police in external service, on orders by Säpo, are asked to be extra vigilant about socially important objects in particular certain parts of the country, according to information to TV4 News. This is to prevent the sabotage of foreign power against the places.
– In daily work, the patrols will focus on monitoring critical infrastructure and protection objects, such as masts, and expect the unexpected about sabotors. You should keep an extra look for people with substance abuse problems, which no one suspect has any contact at such a level, says an informant.
– The call is to keep an extra eye on this clientele.
“Russia uses consumers”
SÄPO does not want to comment on TV4 news information.
– When it comes to the specific tasks or our collaboration with the Police Authority, there is nothing we can go into closer, says Gabriel Wernstedt, press secretary at the security service.
However, it is said that there are “a number of examples in Europe where this type of business has been revealed”.
– In recent times, there are indications that Russia is increasingly using what can be called consumers, that is, people used for individual assignments. These consumers are recruited and instructed mainly via social media platforms and are then used to perform both simpler and more complex sabotage and impact operations in Europe. What then happens to these people from a Russian perspective is often not interesting.