Last week, a new law came into force, and already during the first weekend the police had been able to use it – 17 times.
The new law includes that the police can seize private belongings without the items having to be linked to a specific crime. Instead, it is enough for a person to have, for example, a large amount of cash, a property, a sports car or other valuables and at the same time lack the income to pay for these. If the person then cannot explain how they have been able to afford or come across a luxury item, the police can confiscate it.
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Then the state can confiscate your things
Previously, a seizure could only be made if the person was suspected of or convicted of a crime that could be linked to one or some of the belongings.
If the police and prosecutors judge that the probability that a gadget originates from a crime is greater than that it does not, ownership passes to the Swedish state.
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The police on the new law: “Long-awaited”
In the weekend after the law came into force, a total of 17 cases were opened in Sweden. Six of these were in Gothenburg.
The first seizure made using the new law was a Mercedes-Benz car worth between 200,000 and 300,000 kroner, according to the police.
“This is a long-awaited tool to fight serious organized crime. It should not pay to be a criminal and we have prepared and will be aggressive in trying the new law,” said the police Erika Gustavssongroup manager in Gothenburg city, in one press release.
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The police seized it: Vehicle, watch and branded clothing
First, the police want to be able to strike at leading actors in criminal networks, and it is these who the police believe bring in the most money but who, on the other hand, rarely commit the crimes.
Second, the police want to limit what they call the “marketing of gangster life”.
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The first property seized was a car. Image: The police.
“We see how the networks attract young people with a glamorized image of the ‘gangster culture’ – via social media and music, a myth of status and fast money is sold. We now hope to counter that by taking attributes that we suspect come from criminal activity,” says Erika Gustavsson i the press release.
In Gothenburg alone, three cars, a motorcycle, a watch, and designer clothes were confiscated over the weekend.
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