The police in Malmö have seized more weapons in 2024 than in previous years.
And more and more automatic weapons as well as 3D-printed and home-made weapons are being confiscated.
– Unfortunately, our picture is that it is not particularly difficult to get hold of a weapon today if you are in a criminal environment, says Alexander Törnblom, head of police seizures in Malmö.
There was barely an hour left in 2024 when several police cars and ambulances drove at high speed through central Malmö towards Rosengård. On the spot, you find two teenagers who were shot and had serious gunshot wounds. One of them, 15 years old, died a few days later in the hospital.
The shooting death is now being investigated as an accident. And from the police’s seizure in Malmö, you can see that there is a risk that similar accidents could happen in the future.
– There is an increased risk when you are in a criminal environment or an environment where there are a lot of weapons, says Alexander Törnblom, head of police seizures in Malmö.
Easy to get a weapon
On a table is a selection of the weapons that the Malmö police have seized in the past year. Everything from pistols to automatic carbines. Some guns are converted air guns. Some automatic weapons have many years behind them, everything from two machine guns from the Second World War to different variants of Kalashnikov carbines. Several weapons are in poor condition.
And according to the police, it is not difficult to get hold of them, if you have contacts, according to Alexander Törnblom.
– The seizures we take in show a clear picture of the extent of weapons that are out on the streets. Unfortunately, our picture is that it is not particularly difficult to get hold of a weapon today if you are in a criminal environment. This is partly due to smuggled weapons, but also to a strong secondary market for weapons found in criminal circles.
Increased seizures
During Törnblom’s time as head of the seizure, increasing seizures have been seen. In 2024, 409 weapons were seized in the Malmö police area, in 2023 there were 342 and in 2022 290. But at the same time, this does not necessarily mean that the number of weapons on the streets increases, he believes.
– The number of confiscated weapons has increased significantly over the years. This does not necessarily mean that there is a greater proportion of guns on the streets, but rather the way we work in the police. We have intensified efforts, but we also have a better intelligence operation that generates better crackdowns.