Sweden is grappling with an unprecedented wave of explosions, with 32 blasts recorded so far in 2025 — an average of more than one per day. While gang-related violence has long plagued the country, police now warn that bombings are increasingly being used for financial extortion, signaling a dangerous shift in criminal tactics.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Stockholm Deputy Regional Police Chief Tobias Bergkvist described the situation as “very serious,” revealing that Stockholm alone had witnessed 21 explosions in the past month.
Nationwide, there were five separate blasts on Tuesday alone, including incidents in Kärrtorp, Bagarmossen, Årstaberg, and Upplands-Bro — some repeated attacks in the same locations.
Today in Sweden 🇸🇪:
▶️ A major explosion at a residential building in Kärrtorp, southern Stockholm.
▶️ Another explosion at a home in Bagarmossen, southern Stockholm. Two arrested.
▶️ Bomb squad responding to two hand grenades found on a residential street cycle path in Blåsut,… pic.twitter.com/qxm2BVmvuE
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) January 28, 2025Police have arrested 50 individuals in 25 different cases, including bomb makers, perpetrators, and gang leaders operating from abroad. Despite this, the violence continues unchecked.
According to Hampus Nygårds, assistant director at the National Operations Department (NOA), Sweden’s gang networks do not produce their own explosives. Instead, a small but highly active group of bomb manufacturers supplies criminal organizations, making it difficult to eliminate the problem.
“We have taken down more than two bomb makers, but the violence has not diminished. These individuals sell explosives, and once they are in circulation, they are difficult to track,” Nygårds explained.
Previously, Sweden’s gang violence was primarily conflict-driven, linked to territorial disputes and drug wars among largely immigrant-dominated groups. However, police now see a rise in blasts targeting businesses for extortion — a trend that suggests a move toward organized financial crime.
This shift has been facilitated by digital recruitment platforms, mirroring legitimate job websites but used for criminal activities. Gangs openly advertise roles such as hitmen (“yappers”), arsonists (“steppers”), and bombers, with both domestic and international clients coordinating attacks from abroad.
In response to the escalating crisis, Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer has convened an extraordinary meeting of the Council Against Organized Crime for Thursday to discuss the implementation of additional measures to curb the violence.
One such proposal is the lowering of Sweden’s criminal age from 15 to 14 years — a recommendation presented by special investigator Gunnel Lindberg on Tuesday.
“We propose a reduced penal age for crimes carrying a minimum sentence of four years or more,” Lindberg stated, adding that the proposal also applies to conspiracy, attempted crimes, and aiding violent offenses.
The move follows concerns that Swedish gang networks are actively recruiting children to carry out murders and bombings, taking advantage of the fact that minors receive lenient sentences under current laws.
Justice Minister Strömmer defended the plan, arguing that youth crime as a whole may be decreasing, but the involvement of minors in serious gang violence is rising sharply.
“Sweden is facing an epidemic of shootings and bombings unmatched in the Western world. It is reasonable to address the reality that criminals are getting younger,” Strömmer said.
