In Trelleborg, where, among other things, large seizures of carrier pigeons have been made, customs testify that it is difficult to keep up with:
– We need more inspectors in external service who check the borders. We must avoid selecting places, which we unfortunately have to do today, says Oscar Lindwall, deputy head of the customs control unit in the south.
It remains to be seen whether the customs’ appeal is heeded by politicians. Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson writes in a comment to TV4 Nyheterna that she cannot give any information at the moment about which investments will be prioritized in the upcoming budget.
“Penalties not high enough”
During the first half of this year, around 100 small animals have been seized, which is almost as many as during the whole of last year in total.
As for dogs, 122 have been seized so far this year. Which is significantly fewer than during the peak of the pandemic, when the number was fourfold. However, the result is often the same: euthanasia.
From the kennel side, people are now calling for a tougher crackdown on smuggling.
– The penalties for smuggling dogs are not high enough, like when you smuggle other things. It’s like with weapons and drugs, if there is a market in Sweden, it will continue if you don’t tighten the borders, says Lena Ytterberg, chairman of the Sjöb working dog club.