Drug gang violence in Sweden linked to 60% increase in bomb blasts

A surge in drug-linked gang violence in Sweden led to a 60% increase in bomb blasts in 2019, according to government statistics, as police work to rid the streets of explosives and guns with more officers on patrol.

Sweden has been hit by a wave of shootings and bombings over the past couple of years, which police have linked to gang conflicts in major cities, shocking Swedes, who have long considered their country as one of the safest in the world.

Some 257 bomb attacks were reported to police last year, up from 162 the previous year, the statistics from the National Council for Crime Prevention showed.

The agency did not give any information about the types of explosives most frequently used nor any other details, but Swedish media have reported some attackers used makeshift bombs made from vacuum flasks packed with explosive material.

The public outcry over increased violence has forced the government to boost spending on the police and to launch a programme to fight organised crime, as law and order becomes one of the main political battlefields.

Read more via The Guardian