Are Swedish gangs receiving weapons destined for Ukraine?
Sweden gun violence
Criminal gangs in Sweden may have access to far more powerful weapons, possibly shipped from Ukraine, according to a report by Sputnik News. The arms smugglers in the second-largest city ofGothenburg have been receiving requests to procure weapons from the conflict-hit regions of Ukraine.
The report comes in the backdrop of Europol - the EU's law enforcement agency, issuing a warning in July last year.
The agencystatedthat ”the proliferation of firearms and explosives in Ukraine could lead to an increase in weapons and munitions trafficked into the EU via established smuggling routes or online platforms."
Sweden may not be the only Nordic country in the region to have gained access to Ukrainian weapons. Last year in October, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) stated that weapons sent to Ukraine may have found their way back to Finland.
Incidentally, both countries are currently vying for a spot in NATO, ever since Russia invaded Ukraine.
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Similarly, Ukraine-bound weapons have surfaced in the Sahel region of Africa and nations around the Chad basin.
Why has Sweden become the destination for Ukrainian weapons?
Lately, gun-related violence has increased manifold in Sweden. According to the Swedish national council for crime prevention, it is the only European country where fatal gun shooting incidents have increased since 2000.
The jump from being the country with the lowest rates of gun violence to the highest within a couple of decades has surprisedexperts.
Former prime ministerMagdalena Andersson attributed the rise in gun violence to the influx of immigrants who were not properly assimilated into the mainstream.
WATCH |WION decodes the future of Ukraine-Russia war
"Sweden has failed to integrate the vast numbers of immigrants it has taken in over the past two decades, leading to parallel societies and gang violence,"saidAndersson, before adding,"Society has been too weak, resources for the police and social services have been too weak."
Last year's Quran burnings and subsequent riots resulted in some of the most ugly pictures to have come out of Sweden in recent years. Experts are of the view that the illicit trade of contraband arms and ammunition from Ukraine could further the divide in the country.
(With inputs from agencies)
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