A joint law enforcement operation in Sweden and Spain led to the disruption of an illegal gambling and money laundering operation. 

Authorities believe the “violent” group managed extensive illegal gambling operations and laundered large sums of criminal proceeds, both for its own activities and on behalf of other offenders.  

Investigators also linked the network to drug trafficking across Sweden and the wider Nordic region, placing it firmly within multiple criminal markets. 

The operation was carried out between 28 and 29 November 2025. Nearly 150 officers were deployed during coordinated searches of six locations in Stockholm and two in Murcia.  

Five primary suspects were arrested, three in Sweden and two in Spain. Police seized several hundred thousand euros in luxury goods and cash.  

At one property, which investigators believe functioned as an illegal gambling club, officers found drugs packaged for resale and indicators of possible human trafficking.  

Authorities noted that the suspects represented the central leadership of a local group known for using violence and intimidation to enforce debts, secure income and maintain control over parts of Stockholm’s illicit gambling market. 

According to the investigation, the group operated a criminal business model built on three main revenue streams. 

They include illegal gambling with an estimated annual turnover of €20m, money laundering services for internal and external criminal clients and drug trafficking across local and regional markets.  

 

An intricate network of operations 

By offering services to other criminal actors, Interpol explained that the network acted as a facilitator within a broader illicit ecosystem, helping to sustain interconnected markets.  

The latest enforcement actions form part of a wider, multi-agency strategy designed to dismantle networks that rely on cross-border cooperation to sustain local criminal activity.  

Europol explained that it played a central role by linking intelligence from different jurisdictions and ensuring that information gathered internationally translated into operational pressure on the ground in Sweden.  

The Spanish National Police and the Swedish Police Authority jointly executed the operation. 

In what was apparently part of the larger Europol action, law enforcement brought an end to operations at the long-running Krukan poker club in Stockholm late Friday (28 November). 

Armed officers stormed the venue, which had been operating in plain sight, albeit illegally, for years, during what players described as a €100 buy-in tournament. 

Media outlet Dagens Nyheter reported that close to 100 people were inside the location when police in tactical equipment moved in.  

Swedish outlets noted that the raid was supported by aerial resources, including drones and a helicopter, and coordinated with Europol. However, there was no mention of how this raid was linked to the other operations. 

Still, it appears this was one of the locations included in the Europol press release, even though it wasn’t mentioned by name.  

The Swedish Gambling Authority and the Swedish Enforcement Authority also participated in the enforcement effort against Krukan. 

 

 

Source

 

 

#Sweden #Spain #Europol #IllegalGambling #MoneyLaundering #LawEnforcement