Police seizures of explosive goods increased in 2023. Tens of tons were seized in the criminal environment and more people who illegally handled explosives were identified and prosecuted. This is according to the National Bomb Data Center’s status report.
– The extensive seizures indicate that access to explosive goods is good, but also that our crime prevention work is effective. The seizures have likely prevented several explosions, says Malin Nygren, head of the national bomb data center at the Swedish Police Agency.
Last year, the National Bomb Data Center began a survey of the distribution of seized explosives and explosive goods. Incendiary and explosive substances used by companies licensed to handle them have in several cases leaked to the criminal environment, the national situational picture shows. Enablers, such as explosives or device specialists, in turn offer their products and services to various constellations of organized crime around the country.
The use of explosive substances increased in 2023 compared to the previous years and is on par with 2019 when the number of explosions reached a peak.
Relatives of criminals tend to be attacked to an increasing extent and that the public is exposed to great risk, is the national bomb data center’s assessment. Last September, a 25-year-old woman died and several neighbors had their homes destroyed after an explosive device detonated just north of Uppsala. The woman had nothing to do with the ongoing conflict.
– Deaths are so far unusual in Sweden linked to explosions. What is difficult to measure, however, is the psychological damage and effects that an explosion can have on those who live nearby. The explosions lead to a decrease in the general sense of security in society, says Malin Nygren.
The majority of the explosions, 70 percent, were directed at private residences, which can be compared to 2019 when these accounted for 40 percent. The explosions mainly took place during late evenings and nights when most people are at home or on their way in or out of the property.
As in previous years, the majority of explosions occur in the three metropolitan regions. 38 percent of the explosions have occurred in the Stockholm Police Region, where there has been a doubling of the number of explosions between 2022 and 2023, from 26 to 52 explosions. Police Region South accounts for 26 percent of the explosions and 18 percent of the explosions occur in Police Region West.
– The intensity of this crime means that our cooperation with other authorities has become more decisive than before. It is not only through police efforts that we get access to criminal management, but also through our cooperation with authorities responsible for supervision and licensing, says Malin Nygren.
National Bomb Data Center Status Report 2023 (pdf, 1 MB)
Facts National Bomb Data Center
National bomb data center, which belongs to the police’s national bomb protection, compiles the national situational picture of the use of explosive substances, dangerous substances and objects in a criminal context in Sweden. The majority of the information on the operational events comes from bomb technicians working in the field whose data the National Bomb Data Center has processed.
