The number of explosions in Sweden has increased significantly. 162 cases of general destruction by explosion were reported in 2018 compared to 257 cases in 2019, according to figures from the Crime Prevention Council.

Only in recent weeks have explosions occurred in Norrköping, Malmö, and in Husby, Kista and at Östermalm in Stockholm.

"Works hard"

Operation frostbite began in November 2019 to curb gang violence in Sweden. The effort goes on for six months. Palle Nilsson, commander-in-chief of the operation, says that the police are working on intelligence, which is why the number of blasts is increasing right now.

- We are analyzing why the use of explosives has increased as it has done. At the same time, we have broken the trend a bit in terms of the number of shootings, but we have to work hard and hard on the investigations.

The risk of third parties being affected makes the situation extremely serious, he believes.

Children with arms

Palle Nilsson says the police have a pretty good picture of the people behind the crimes.

- But they are difficult to access. We must ensure that they do not use the welfare system for crime, we will take their money when they have debts, their property when they have debts, and the police will ensure that they go to jail.

To reduce crime in the longer term, the police must work with the municipalities to remove the "tail of children" who risk being forced into crime by, for example, hiding weapons and selling drugs, says Nilsson.

- But we have to work on several levels. We must remove the role models in the criminal environment, remove the youth who perform it, and we must work with the children who are forced into this environment.