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The Black Swan: Controversial Danish documentary exposing organized crime premieres in Sweden

organized crime

Published 18 June 2024
– By Editorial Staff
The documentary has caused quite a stir in Denmark.

The acclaimed documentary The Black Swan (Den sorte svane) has exposed links between criminals and the top echelons of society in Denmark and sparked a huge debate. Now the documentary comes to Sweden, where experts warn that the situation could be even worse.

In a unique collaboration with Danish TV2, lawyer Amira Smajic helped expose widespread money laundering and corruption in large parts of Danish society. She mapped professional criminals and their networks, resulting in several high-profile individuals being reported to the police.

For two years she worked as a mole, using hidden cameras in her office to document the underworld’s dealings with lawyers and businessmen, among others, reports Bonnier-controlled Dagens Nyheter.

– If you don’t do something drastic, nothing will change, she says in the documentary.

But Smajic played a double game. She ran another office in addition to the bugged one, and when confronted about it, she withdrew from the collaboration and tried to stop the documentary.

Nevertheless, The Black Swan was broadcast following a Danish court order. Amira Smajic has made several attempts to stop the series, but has been denied by various courts. She is now living under protection in a secret location.

Political uproar and criticism

The documentary has caused a great stir in Denmark, shedding light on a long-standing issue that has now received further attention through Amira Smajic’s revelations. Since the broadcast, a lawyer, a real estate developer and a high-ranking businessman have been reported to the police.

The government has called emergency meetings and prime minister Mette Fredriksen has promised new tools for the authorities to fight money laundering.

At the same time, TV2 has been criticized for its methods. Methods that are believed to have facilitated new crimes. TV2 news director Ulla Pors defends the methods.

– In our opinion, Amira Smajic’s work for TV2 does not initiate criminal acts that would most likely not have occurred otherwise, she says.

Mette Fredriksen has promised new tools for Danish authorities to fight money laundering in the wake of the “Black Swan” case. Photo: PES Communications/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Controversial methods

During the making of the documentary, TV2 deviated from its normal press ethics and also entered into a dialog with the Danish police to ensure Amira Smajic’s safety.

She was also paid DKK 30,000 a month for her work, and the decision to use a hidden camera was justified on the grounds that it was the only way to document the shadowy activities, explains Michael Nørgaard, editorial director of TV2’s documentary department.

– It was a difficult decision for TV2 to broadcast the series when the mole withdrew his consent. But both the Danish District and County Courts came to the same conclusion as we did: that Amira gave her consent in an enlightened state of mind, where she could foresee the consequences of publication. That is why we decided to publish. But it’s no secret that we would have preferred to publish with Amira’s consent, says Michael Nørgaard in a comment.

Researchers warn against Swedish conditions

Criminologist David Sausdal, who works at Lund University, believes that the situation in Sweden may be even worse than in Denmark. He points out that shootings and death rates are significantly higher in Sweden.

– There is a lot of evidence that it is probably even worse here. If you look at the number of shootings and deaths, they are five to ten times higher in Sweden, with many thousands of gang criminals. The black swan also exists in Sweden, and it is much bigger than in Denmark, says Sausdal.

Now that the Swedish premiere is over, it is easy to assume that the debate on money laundering and crime will gain new momentum in Sweden as well, and the question of working methods to uncover serious and systemic social problems will become increasingly relevant.

The Black Swan (Den sorte svane)

Danish documentary series in five parts showing how people in the serious criminal environment cooperate with respected and superficially law-abiding lawyers, business owners and officials to launder money and circumvent / deceive authorities. The series is produced by Danish TV2 and Norwegian NRK, among others. The series premiered in Sweden on June 16 on SVT and SVT Play, then called "Den svarta svanen".

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Criminal networks plunder Sweden – Economic Crime Authority warns of collapse

organized crime

Published 6 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
According to Jermsten, "the basic functions of society" are now threatened by the rise of organized crime.

Organized economic crime is growing rapidly in Sweden. According to the Swedish Economic Crime Authority’s new Director General Rikard Jermsten, the criminal economy amounts to more than SEK 150 billion (€13,5 billion) every year, and is today considered a systemic threat.

– It’s worse than I thought. We as a society are financing the crime that we are supposed to fight, he says.

In its latest situation report, the Swedish Economic Crime Authority describes a development where crimes are becoming increasingly complex and extensive and where profits are increasing sharply. Money laundering through advanced corporate arrangements is identified as a central part of the gang criminal economy.

– In the past, the criminal profits in our investigations could amount to tens of millions of SEK. Today, we see profits well over 100 million in individual cases, explains Jermsten.

Particularly at risk are welfare systems, where criminal networks plunder public resources through fake companies, scam invoices and identity theft. But banks, pension systems and large construction and infrastructure projects have also become targets for organized crime.

“Threatening the basic functions of society”

The often quoted figure  that the criminal economy in Sweden has a turnover of SEK 150 billion (€13,5 billion) is probably underestimated, according to Jermsten.

Economic crime is growing in scope and threatens the basic functions of society. It undermines trust in the state, weakens public finances and damages welfare systems“, the agency states in its report.

Jermsten describes the consequences as twofold: on the one hand, society loses tax revenue that would have gone to health, education and social care  and on the other hand, the money is used instead to finance other crime. If crime becomes too widespread, he also believes that honest citizens will be less willing to pay taxes.

– When criminals steal tax money from the state, we all lose out. At the same time, competition in the business world is distorted, with serious long-term consequences.

No quick fixes

There are no quick fixes, according to the agency. But to strengthen resilience, it wants to see several measures: making it harder to start or take over companies for criminal purposes, easier to control company representatives, and harder to exploit other people’s identities.

Public procurement must also be tightened up to keep organised crime out, and the supervisory authorities’ control functions need to be strengthened. The Economic Crime Authority also proposes tougher penalties for economic crime in general.

– The development is going in the wrong direction. The whole of society now needs to build up its resilience, says Rikard Jermsten.

Swedish criminologist fired after linking genetics and ethnicity to crime on state TV

organized crime

Published 2 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Leif GW Persson in a discussion with the Liberals' Johan Pehrson.

Recently, Swedish criminologist Leif GW Persson stated that there is a very clear link between genetics, ethnic factors, and crime – a link that researchers and authorities have deliberately silenced.

Now he is suddenly being forced to leave the state television program Veckan – which is also being shut down completely without further explanation.

In an episode of SVT’s Veckan med Camilla och Leif GW (The Week with Camilla and Leif GW) just over a month ago, Persson caused quite a stir when he presented a not entirely politically correct explanation for the spiraling crime rate in Sweden – factors that the authorities choose to ignore completely.

– There is one factor that has been studiously avoided, or rather two. One is the genetic link, which is actually stronger than the social links. So what about genetics if you trace this young criminal back through his family?

– That’s one thing. The other is the ethnic factor. They have avoided that, he continued, describing the link between ethnicity and crime as “very strong when it comes to serious organized crime in marginalized suburbs”.

According to Persson, these explanatory models are something “people don’t like to talk about” – and he argued that researchers are well aware of the importance of genetics and ethnicity, but that they have avoided focusing on these factors for purely political reasons.

– Criminological research can, with some justification, be accused of not really aiming at the target. The reason for this is not because people have been unaware, but because they want to avoid anything that could cause problems for them.

“At any cost, I had to be here”

The criminologist also expressed harsh criticism of politicians and other people in power, saying that they have failed completely in building a functioning police organization, among other things.

The TV personality’s comments caused an uproar among left-wing activists and liberals on social media, and he has now been fired from the tax-funded channel.

– It came as a surprise when SVT called and said they were cancelling the program. I have a clear idea of why that is, he told Bonnier-owned Amelia.

– I was actually a bit surprised because they were very eager to get me here. And that was just about a year ago. At any cost, I had to be here. Then it turned out that it was basically just to do 20 programs, Persson continues.

He does not want to confirm at this time that it was his comments about ethnicity, genetics, and crime that led to his dismissal, but he promises to comment further on the matter at a later date.

“That’s for SVT’s managers to answer”

Persson also points out that the program had good ratings, was inexpensive to produce, and received positive feedback, but that SVT’s managers nevertheless chose to cancel it. Program host Camilla Kvartoft also declined to comment on why the program was suddenly canceled.

– That’s for SVT’s managers to answer, but we’ve had two really great seasons with very high viewership, and I’m proud of our programs, she says.

Sofia Dahlström, who is the “acting commissioner for society, documentaries, and minorities” at SVT, states that it was decided from the beginning that there would only be two seasons – something Leif GW Persson does not recognize.

Triple murder in Uppsala makes global headlines – Sweden cast as cautionary tale

organized crime

Published 30 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The recurring Swedish gang shootings have become a popular subject for foreign media.

The gang-related shootings in Sweden never seem to end and on Tuesday three people were murdered outside a hairdressing salon near Vaksala torg, Uppsala.

The triple murder quickly became world news and Sweden is once again being portrayed as a horror story in the international media.

The victims are between 15 and 20 years old – and at least one of them can be clearly linked by the police to organized crime in Sweden. A minor suspect has also been arrested for the crime.

The media around the world have long been fascinated by the spread of gang violence across Sweden, which was previously regarded by the outside world as relatively calm, idyllic and spared from this kind of event. And the shooting in Uppsala is no exception.

Swedish bloodbath” is what the British tabloid, for example, is calling it, claiming that there is “Fear in Sweden after shooting“.

The Nordic country has suffered from a wave of gang-related violence for more than a decade that has included an epidemic of gun violence”, the Qatari Al-Jazeera states.

The AP news agency also notes that Sweden has struggled with gang violence, recurring shootings and bombings for many years without much success, and similar descriptions appear in most other media that have covered the events.

“Score-settling between rival gangs”

The US left-liberal CNN in turn alerts its readers to the fact that in 2023 Sweden had the highest number of shootings per capita in the EU – and German and French media note that gangs often use children to commit the murders, as they are underage.

But the Nordic country has struggled for years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival gangs. Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden”, writes Le Monde.

The moderate-led government claims it is doing what it can to stop the killings and has promised to crack down on organized crime. Last year also saw a drop in the number of murders compared to the previous year – but critics note that there is still much to be done.

Organized crime takes over Swedish aid for disabled citizens

organized crime

Published 23 April 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Swedish Social Insurance Agency describes gang criminals entering the assistance industry as more the rule than the exception.

The Swedish Social Insurance Agency (Försäkringskassan) is sounding the alarm that Sweden’s personal assistance allowance is currently being plundered by organized crime – and that taxpayer money is not only being stolen, but also risks financing other criminal activities.

When the privatization and sell-off of the Swedish welfare system began in earnest in the early 1990s, many warned that criminal actors would enter these sectors – either to launder money or to defraud the state and enrich themselves.

That warning has come true – and now Försäkringskassan reports that it’s now more common than not for gang criminals to be active in the personal assistance industry.

Criminals are abusing the welfare system through the personal assistance allowance. Four in ten users are estimated to have come into contact with personal assistants who have links to, or are active within, organized crime”, the agency warns, continuing:

The analysis shows that gang criminals and their families are heavily involved in the assistance sector, both as company representatives and as personal assistants, while remaining actively involved in crime“.

Systematic infiltration

It notes that in the period 2022-2023, people active or linked to criminal networks worked in all of the largest 62 assistance companies – and more than one in ten Swedish assistance companies are deemed to have “particularly close links to organized crime“.

It is not only Swedish society and taxpayers who suffer when foreign criminal networks have systematically infiltrated the assistance industry – disabled people also risk being left behind.

This includes vulnerable individuals being neglected, and people with disabilities being used as tools for crime – often with children being the ones who suffer most. Users risk receiving poor or no assistance at all”, Försäkringskassan states.

Tax money strengthens gangs’ finances

The money that the criminal networks manage to swindle is also at risk of being used to finance other criminal activities – and Swedes are thus forced to finance the gangs’ purchases of weapons and drugs, for example.

Furthermore, what appears to be legitimate employment – for instance as a personal assistant – can give the employee access to other types of social insurance fraud“, the agency adds.

The report was produced using data from a wide range of other Swedish authorities such as the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Migration Agency, the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish Police Authority.

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