Last year, the Customs Administration seized 58 firearms, which can be compared to 2018 when 41 firearms were seized. The number of seizures increased from 34 to 49.

This is the result of the authority launching a special campaign against arms smuggling in 2019 and the budget allocations have increased.

- We can do more checks in the country, which is positive, says Lars Kristoffersson, head of law enforcement at the Customs Administration.

In addition, the authority also seized 23 launch and gas weapons. It can sound harmless, starting guns, for example, are common in the sports world and are built to relieve loose shots while gas guns can be built to relieve pepper spray.

However, converting these weapons to real firearms is relatively simple, and for a couple of years they have been common in police investigations of gang crime.

"Becoming increasingly popular"

The gas guns - Ekol and Zoraki are the most common models that customs seize - are purchased factory new in EU countries where they are legal. The weapons are usually found in the mail and courier flows, but also appear in connection with house searches or when seizing the border.

Those who are not confiscated can, among other things, appear in gang shootings.

- They are becoming increasingly popular and there are several examples of when rebuilt launch and gas weapons were used for criminal purposes.

Are they harder for you to discover?

- No, but they are easier to get hold of.

Has arms smuggling increased?

- There are some who say we have such a large inflow of weapons and we don't really see that. We do about 70-80,000 checks per year and we find quite a lot of drugs at the border, but we certainly do not find as many weapons, says Lars Kristoffersson and continues:

- We think that there will be some smaller parties every now and then, unlike drugs that come very often and where we seize basically every day. In addition, firearms are not fresh goods but can be used for multiple shootings.

Found in criminal circles

According to Lars Kristoffersson, smuggling of gas and starter guns began to increase about five years ago.

- We do the same analysis as the police, they find more launch and gas weapons in criminal circles.

The Customs seizes between 40 and 60 weapons annually. At the same time, the Customs Administration awaits new legislation.

- Today we are not allowed to make use of secret coercive means such as telephone interception, but this is changing.