A “big blow against organized crime”.
This is how the police describe the drug crackdown earlier this week – where nine people from the motorcycle gang Bandidos have now been detained.
– It has great significance both regionally and nationally, says Per Björkman, commissioner and intelligence leader at the police.
In connection with coordinated efforts in Västra Götaland and Örebro, nine people were arrested in connection with a major drug bust earlier this week.
According to the police, the detainees belong to the motorcycle gang Bandidos.
– We have known about them for some time and I want to believe that they have a central role in the Swedish drug trade, says Per Björkman, commissioner and intelligence leader at the police.
Several gangs under surveillance
According to him, the crackdown is unusually large. But the exact quantity of drugs involved is difficult to determine.
– It depends on the degree of purity. But if you didn’t mix it out, which is often done with such large amounts, the value is around SEK 40 million, he says.
For some time, the police have conducted intelligence work against several gangs suspected of being involved in the drug trade in Sweden. Per Björkman says that the suspicions against the gang in question grew stronger during the course of the work – but he does not want to go into how long they have been under scrutiny by the police.
– It is still early in the process, so I do not want to comment on whether it is a month or several years.
“Plays significant role”
In addition to a significant role in the Swedish drug trade, the gang is said to have also been active abroad – at least in Norway and Finland. And the police describe the result of the operation as a “big blow against organized crime”.
– For this network, this crackdown plays a significant role. But it is clear that it has great significance regionally and nationally, says Per Björkman.