Europol (European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation) has announced a coordinated strike force action that targeted illegal gambling across Spain and Sweden.

The strategic move from multiple jurisdictions and their police forces was aimed across the last weekend of November at a violent criminal entity operating out of the Stockholm area.

Stockholm gang network targeted by Europol

The entity at the heart of Europol’s investigation has criminal links to drug trafficking, money laundering, and illegal gambling rings.

Swedish news outlet SVT reported that the Södermalm region of Stockholm was frenetic with drones, helicopters, and armed police who stormed a local nightclub, “Krukan” on Sunday (November 30).

According to local prosecutor Wictor Beyer in an address to the Stockholm District Court, the premise was known to have “received, stored, traded, transported and transferred cash, bank balances and cryptocurrency worth approximately SEK 10 million ($1,060,000) per month, totalling at least SEK 230 million ($24,334,000).

Enforcement action across Spain and Sweden

The European Serious Organised Crime Centre (ESOCC) is the oversight body for cases that span multiple jurisdictions and require negotiation and logistical coordination across two nations to achieve their goals.

The ESOCC informed the Spanish National Police (Policía Nacional) and the Swedish Police Authority (Polisen) officers, who...