'Efficient, Well-Adjusted' Market for Contract Killings Operates in Sweden, Report Reveals

In recent years, gangland violence and organised crime has soared in Sweden, with shootings and explosions linked to mob wars appearing in the headlines ever so often. While numerous reports have suggested a connection between violent crime and immigration, the authorities have been largely powerless to solve the problem.

A report by the Swedish police has identified a market for contract killing characterised by both efficiency, affordability and mobility among private contractors.

The report based on the analysis of material from EncroChat, a now-defunct Europe-based communications network and service provider frequently used by organised crime members, often in connection with drug trafficking, provided an insight into how the contractors operate.

For instance, the bounty for a murder varies from between SEK 100,000 (about $10,000) to SEK 1,000,000 (about $100,000) depending on the client's financial circumstances, the status of the intended victim and the experience of the provider, the National Operations Department said in the report.

“For example, it is cheaper to hire a younger person with no experience than vice versa. In addition to financial incentives as a driving force for committing a violent crime, the revenge motive is not uncommon. It is also common for young people to undertake murder assignments without a requirement for financial compensation in order to prove themselves reliable and to rise in the ranks”, the police report reads.

Apparently, gangs encounter no major problems recruiting people who want to commit murder.

“The data also shows that it is relatively easy to find and hire people who are willing to commit violence, regardless of whether it is an explosion, shooting or murder. However, it can be more difficult to find a performer who is more reliable”, the report said.

“When an external actor is wanted to either carry out a shooting on their own or to recruit a contractor as well, it is common for the entire violent event to be marketed as a 'package solution' where all practical details such as a getaway car, hiding place and weapons are already taken care of”, the report said.

The police also noted a “lack of respect for human life”, “indifference to the risk of third parties being affected” and an “almost routine and mechanical way of making decisions about life or death”.

“Violence appears to be an integral part of the lifestyle of many of the actors involved”, it concluded.

The news outlet Fria Tider summarised the report as proof of Sweden having an "efficient and well-adjusted" market for contract killings.

In recent years, Sweden has been engulfed in a deadly spiral of gang-related violence and organised crime, with shootings and explosions linked to mob wars often dominating the news cycle. Furthermore, the country's police estimated that at least 5,000 gang members are active in over 60 “no-go zones”, formally referred to as “vulnerable areas” across Sweden and cited some 40 criminal clans, some of which arrived in Sweden from abroad solely for the purpose of committing crimes.