Dozens arrested in Swedish-led European crackdown on cross-border crime

A Swedish-led European police operation targeting cross-border crime in the Baltic Sea region has resulted in around 50 arrests, authorities announced Friday.

The week-long operation, coordinated by Swedish police, led to the seizure of large quantities of narcotics and stolen goods worth nearly 5 million Swedish kronor (approx. €430,000), according to a police statement.

Around 20 of the arrests took place in Sweden, while the remaining detentions occurred in other participating countries. Police filed approximately 150 criminal reports, ranging from serious theft and drug offences to environmental crimes and money laundering.

During the operation—dubbed “Empact Trident”—authorities conducted over 33,000 person checks and inspected more than 22,000 vehicles, primarily in the Baltic Sea area. The initiative has been carried out annually for several years.

“The results of this operation highlight the widespread nature of cross-border criminal activity, where offenders move freely between countries,” said Mikael Eliasson, the police operation leader, in the statement.

The crackdown involved law enforcement agencies from multiple European nations, though Swedish police did not specify which countries participated.