Establishing a new intelligence center • The criminal economy has a turnover of over 100 billion
The police have set up a new financial intelligence center to fight financial crime. Together with the Swedish Crime Agency, the Swedish Tax Agency and the banks, the Police Authority has worked proactively to access the criminal economy, which annually has a turnover of between SEK 100 and 150 billion.
As of September 1, 2025, the Police Authority, the Swedish Crime Agency and the Swedish Tax Agency will sit in a common room with representatives from the banks, but already the collaboration work has been initiated. The purpose is to exchange operational information between each other and through proactive work makes it difficult for crimes to be committed.
– The Swedish Tax Agency is one of the few authorities that is commissioned to review all companies and private individuals’ finances. This means that we have very good knowledge and access to financial information. It is often crucial to identifying financial crime, including tax offenses, fraud and non -payment, says Daniel Särnqvist, business developer at the Swedish Tax Agency’s law enforcement department, in a press release.
Shall work crime prevention
The cooperation is based on existing legislation that enables information exchange between authorities and banks. Initially, you will focus on establishing basic structures and routines and the hope is that the center’s work will function crime prevention.
“The main purpose is that the information generated in the center should be disposed of and translated into measures by the banks,” says Karin Berggren, at the Police Authority, head of the new financial intelligence center.
The banks positive
The Swedish Crime Authority is expected to contribute special expertise on financial crime, while the banks’ task is to contribute rapid information on suspected crime and also take measures to ensure that crime should not be possible.
– The banks have customer knowledge and advanced systems for monitoring transactions, which together with information from authorities can be decisive, says Erik Wendeby, lawyer at the Swedish Banking Association, pointing out that the banks are positive about the new center:
– An increased and simplified exchange of information is fundamental to dealing with the criminal economy.
By December 31, 2027, the center will be fully expanded, police say.