Here’s the new weapon to put the drug rings.
Using evidence provocation, the police managed to get a man to sell drugs to a police officer on Snapchat.
– We haven’t acted in these arenas as much as we might have liked. The new legislation makes it possible for us to work with provocation of evidence and for prosecutors to make that decision, says preliminary investigation manager Thomas Lundqvist.
Through new legislation, the police have managed to put a drug dealer on Snapchat. It is with the help of evidence provocation that the police in Hälsingland got a man in his 30s to sell drugs to a police officer on the social media platform. Now he is charged with several cases of drug crimes.
– The police received information about an account on Snapchat where drugs could be bought. Together with an offensive prosecutor, we set up a plan for how we could act against this account and we received a decision from the prosecutor about provocation of evidence, says Thomas Lundqvist, preliminary investigation leader in Bollnäs.
Police stood with white powder in hand
The legislation entered into force in the summer of 2023 and has made it easier for the authorities to use evidence provocation. In addition, the penalty rate for the sale of narcotics has been increased.
The fictional buyer and seller on Snapchat set a time and place and the “deal” was completed.
– All of a sudden, a policeman stood with a bag of white powder in his fist. The seller, a man in his 30s, was arrested by colleagues who were nearby, says Thomas Lundqvist.
Will continue with provocation of evidence
After the arrest, a house search was carried out where more drugs were found and the man was arrested and finally remanded in custody. Today the trial started. The police see this as successful and will continue to work in this way.
– For decades we have worked with classic street scouting, but sales have continued anyway. You shouldn’t be able to feel safe just because you sell drugs under an alias on social media, says Thomas Lundqvist.