The criminal economy in Sweden has an annual turnover of at least SEK 352 billion, according to a new research report. That’s the equivalent of almost a billion Swedish kronor a day, reports Fria Tider.

Now, a new community council is being set up to combat the trend. In a new report, the Expert Group for Studies in Public Economics (ESO) estimates that the criminal economy has an annual turnover of at least SEK 352 billion.

Of this, criminal profit accounts for around SEK 185 billion.

«Economic crime is growing in scope and its development poses a threat to our society. It affects confidence in the state, public finances and the financial system. At the same time, financial crime is damaging our welfare systems. The whole of society must therefore build resilience,” says Rikard Jermsten, Director General of the Swedish Economic Crime Authority.

The report differs from previous attempts to estimate the scale of the criminal economy. Instead of counting sector by sector, the researchers have gathered a large number of data and sub-calculations in an overall analysis. The report also makes a clear distinction between turnover and actual criminal profit.

The Swedish Economic Crime Authority already collaborates with several authorities and organisations in its work against organised crime and labour market crime, among other things.

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The government is also part of the Swedish partnership against organised crime, SMOB.

Now the next step is taken when SMOB starts a “community council” against organised crime. The council is described as a strategic forum of senior decision-makers, with the aim of strengthening cooperation against organised crime and its effects on society.
<“The Council brings together not only the authorities, but also academia, business and the social partners. This is important in a situation where the whole of society needs to build resilience,” says Jermsten.

The SMOB initiative is run as a collaboration between, among others, the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, the Swedish Police Authority, the Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs, the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the Swedish Enforcement Authority, the Swedish Migration Agency, Södertörn University and organisations such as the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, LO, TCO and the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. The organisations participate in the new Social Council at director general or chairman level.