Violent organized crime network dismantled in Sweden and Spain: Europol assists in an operation with 150 police officers and illegal turnover of 20 million EUR

Brussels, December 2, 2025 The authorities from Sweden and Spain, coordinated by Europol, targeted an active violent criminal network in the Stockholm area, involved in extensive operations of illegal gambling, money laundering, and drug trafficking. The operation, conducted from November 28-29, brought together approximately 150 police officers and included searches in eight locations – six in Stockholm and two in Murcia, Spain – resulting in the arrest of five suspects.

In brief

The violent criminal network dismantled through a joint Sweden-Spain operation, supported by Europol.

Illegal gambling with an estimated turnover of 20 million EUR per year, money laundering, and drug trafficking.

Five suspects arrested, goods confiscated, and possible indications of human trafficking in the searched club.

During the searches, authorities confiscated luxury watches, large sums of money, and other valuables worth several hundred thousand euros. In a location used as an illegal gambling den, police discovered drugs prepared for sale and evidence suggesting possible human trafficking activities. Europol notes that the suspects represent the core of a local group known for using violence and intimidation to protect their income, enforce debt recovery, and control segments of the illegal gambling market in Stockholm.

The investigation showed that the network operated a diversified criminal model, combining illegal gambling with an estimated turnover of 20 million EUR per year, money laundering services for other groups, and drug trafficking across the Nordic region. By providing these services to other criminal actors, the group functioned as a "key facilitator" in the regional criminal environment.

Europol emphasizes that the operation is part of a broader, multi-agency strategy aimed at dismantling networks that affect local communities but rely on international connections. The agency played a central role in connecting information obtained in various jurisdictions and in supporting national authorities in the operational phase, contributing to transforming international intelligence exchange into concrete actions on the ground.

https://2eu.brussels/articol/stiri/retea-criminala-violenta-destructurata-in-suedia-si-spania-europol-asista-o-operatiune-cu-150-de-politisti-si-turnover-ilegal-de-20-milioane-eur