As recently as the end of March 2021, the security police issued a press release stating that the threat picture against Sweden is increasing.

Reasons are stated to be, among other things, increased digitalisation and increased polarization in society.

- Säpo has for a number of years been alerted that espionage and intelligence activities are increasing, and I think there is an interest among people to know more about these issues.

So we think we are filling a gap in the offer, says Bo Torbjörn Ek who is the host of Swedish Radio's new podcast Gräns.

The podcast has a formative style and is about the threat against Sweden and the defense.

Hosts Bo Torbjörn Ek and Ulrika Bergqvist talk about what is happening in the intelligence service and the military, while the rest of us live on as usual.

Starts with suspected Russian espionage

The first episode depicts a suspected espionage plot in which a Russian intelligence officer is suspected of having worked under cover at the Russian embassy in Sweden.

The man is suspected of having paid a Scania employee to obtain secret information.

Exactly what this is about is confidential, but in addition to manufacturing trucks and buses, Scania also develops safety systems.

Both defendants deny the allegations, the trial begins on August 26.

Is it not risky to make a program about an ongoing lawsuit where the outcome is still uncertain?

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We reproduce what all parties think and feel, and when the verdict is available, we will probably tell about it in the podcast as well, says Bo Torbjörn Ek.

"A type of public education"

According to the security police, as many as one in three Russian diplomats are actually employed by Russia's intelligence services, and work under a so-called "diplomatic cover".

- Russia is singled out as the top three countries that spy on Sweden, in addition to China and Iran, says Bo Torbjörn Ek.

He says that the information you want can be about everything from what the defense looks like, to refugee espionage or industrial secrets that benefit your own country's companies and economy.

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I think there is a need to hear more stories on the subject.

It is a type of public education ... to find out more about how the defense and intelligence services work, says Bo Torbjörn Ek.