- It's flooding in with smuggled dogs right now.
I have never experienced anything like this, says Niklas Delin, group manager at the Swedish Customs in Skåne.
One effect of the pandemic is that more and more people want to buy a dog.
A Maltese puppy can be sold at Blocket for SEK 20-25,000.
Most dogs that are smuggled often come with fake EU passports.
- In most cases, the passports are either forged or a corrupt veterinarian abroad has forged them.
The passports may state that the dogs are 17 weeks old when in reality they are 6 weeks old.
It is not certain that they are even vaccinated against rabies, says Niklas Delin.
"Killing a part of our everyday life"
In the Swedish Customs 'premises at the Öresund Bridge, there is a special killing room where a veterinarian kills the dogs with the Swedish Customs' staff present.
- Participating in the killing of dogs has become part of our everyday life when it occurs almost daily now.
They did not apply to Customs to help kill puppies, says Niklas Delin.
Niklas Delin says that he has never witnessed anything similar regarding dog smuggling in recent weeks.
Photo: Bernard Mikulic