Published October 21, 2021 at 11:46 AM
Domestic. Criminals are increasingly starting companies to be able to use the Swedish welfare systems for money. It shows a new picture of the organized crime from 12 authorities. The state loses billions annually to organized crime.
Like the article p & aring; Facebook
Companies that are controlled by criminals can give the appearance of conducting a legal activity in many different industries.
But the companies are in fact a facade for criminals to be able to import, for example. labor from the third world, apply for and get grants paid and deceive the Swedish tax system.
– Crime digs deeper and deeper beneath the surface and is committed more in secret through legal companies, infiltration and money laundering of criminal proceeds. This new situation gives us authorities a common problem picture and creates conditions for us to be able to use more tools and thus achieve a broader effect in law enforcement work, says Linda H Staaf, head of the Police Authority's national operational department's intelligence unit and chairman of the national intelligence center (Nuc ), in a press release.
Organized crime entails billions in losses for the state and is judged to threaten the security, safety and health of the inhabitants, as well as socially important functions as well as democracy and the rule of law.
– The serious crime has gone from robbing banks and cash-in-transit to now robbing social insurance instead. We must build systems that can withstand that kind of strain and prevent the crimes from being committed. To do that, we need to be able to exchange information that is important for law enforcement between authorities in a better way. The information is available, but it is not available, says Britt-Marie Hultström, business area manager, Försäkringskassan.
Financial gain is one of the most important driving forces for organized crime. Criminals often move in a gray area between illegal and legal activities, according to the report. Black wages have partly turned into low white wages and there is human exploitation, identity exploitation and false income data.
– When many authorities work together, our ability to attack and complicate criminals' money management and laundering of criminal proceeds increases. We need to work together with all our toolboxes. In the long run, the criminal attacks risk leading to poorer social services and they also damage confidence in the state and the authorities, which favors the growth of parallel social structures, says Elena Wallin, head of intelligence, the Swedish Tax Agency.
Common to the crime against paying systems and the evasion of taxes and fees is that it is directed at the state and that companies have a central role. The single largest payments from the welfare system are made to companies.
– By using companies as a criminal tool, you get access to the legal sphere and can use this to commit crimes such as. fraud and violations of the welfare system. The principals can avoid penalties by appointing goalkeepers as representatives of the company. Continued good cooperation between authorities is a prerequisite for being able to access crime, but we also need more effective tools to be able to detect and suspend ongoing crime. Current regulations limit us today, for example, in our intelligence activities we need to be able to obtain financial information such as bank statements and electronic communications, says Torbjörn Rosén, police chief at the Economic Crime Authority.
The authorities in the fight against organized crime face crime of varying character; from drugs and violence – to welfare crimes and various forms of economic crime.
– Drug trafficking is a key source of income for organized crime. There is also a strong link between the drug market and the shootings and explosions that have taken place in recent years. It is therefore important that the initiative focuses on serious crime that threatens society and the system, where more authorities with joint efforts can succeed in not only fighting crime but also preventing it from happening, says Linda H Staaf.