The police are now further strengthening their resources to deal with the escalation of violence that has occurred in the Stockholm area in the past four weeks.
At a press conference on Thursday, it is announced that a decision has been made on a special event to handle and break the conflict situation, which is described as ongoing between several different criminal networks.
- We are in a very intense period, we are working incredibly hard, both our internal and external staff, says Acting Police Regional Director Mattias Andersson.
Commander Hanna Paradis describes the situation as complex with several ongoing conflicts in the region.
- In general, you can say that we have a very high level of conflict between several different criminal networks, some of which are particularly prominent right now.
We see within the networks that there has been a movement.
Previously, the networks were locally anchored and locally based.
It has changed.
The networks today act both regionally, across regional borders and also nationally and internationally, says Hanna Paradis, who emphasizes that there is collaboration between other police authorities in the country.
Shift in the balance of power
In the current cases, 23 people have been detained and eight detained.
In addition, seizures have been made in the form of: eight handguns, three automatic carbines, 16 explosive cartridges, a hand grenade and 1.8 kilos of dynamite.
- I judge that we have a good grasp of who is in these networks.
We know quite a lot through the encrypted chats.
We also had many of the leading figures detained.
That and last year's and winter's intensive police work with a lot of seizures of weapons and narcotics mean that we have a shift in the balance of power and disruption of it.
That may be one of the reasons why we see the development we see today, says Hanna Paradis.
The approaches used in the conflicts are believed to be a way to pressure those involved.
"At risk of losing their own lives"
At the same time, the people involved have gotten younger, both the victims and the perpetrators.
Half of the criminal suspects are now under the age of 18, according to the police.
- We also see another worrying tendency that many young people who commit the crimes are forced or threatened to commit the crimes.
And if they do not carry out the attacks or acts of violence, they risk losing their own lives.
This is a very worrying development that requires us together with others in society, including social services, to do something together, says Hanna Paradis.
According to the police, several acts of violence have also been stopped.
Most recently, a car with what is described as network criminals was stopped in southern Stockholm.
- This is an event, but it happens continuously in our business, she says.