Sweden accuses Iran of using criminal gangs to target Israeli, Jewish sites

Sweden’s Security Service (SÄPO) has accused Iran of exploiting criminal gangs to target Israeli and Jewish sites in Sweden over the past year, according to a report released this week.

The claims have sparked concerns about state-backed violence carried out through organized crime networks, particularly near the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm, Caliber.Az reports per US media.

Thus, the investigation highlights the involvement of minors, some as young as 13, in attacks facilitated by encrypted messaging services and social media. One such incident saw a 14-year-old boy open fire near the Israeli Embassy with a semi-automatic pistol. 

Although he was detained, his age meant he could not be prosecuted. However, a 15-year-old accomplice, who had planned a similar attack, was remanded to juvenile detention for 11 months.

SÄPO has warned that Iran’s use of criminal gangs to extend its conflict with Israel into Sweden’s streets poses a serious security risk. The Swedish intelligence agency identified two rival gangs, Rumba and Foxtrot, as central players in the plot to attack the embassy at Iran’s direction.

Fredrik Hallström, head of SÄPO operations, noted that state actors are increasingly using criminal networks to exploit vulnerabilities in Sweden’s security.

Iran’s Embassy in Stockholm has dismissed the allegations as “fake and propagandistic,” a statement it claims is being promoted by Israel. Meanwhile, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union have raised alarms about Iranian threats against dissidents, journalists, and Israeli targets in the West.

In January, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson condemned Iran’s actions, stating that while Sweden was not at war, peace could not be claimed either. The Israeli intelligence service, Mossad, has linked the leaders of the rival gangs, Rawa Majid of Foxtrot and Ismail Abdo of Rumba, to Iranian support and responsibility for previous attacks on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm.

The Iranian-backed criminal activity is not isolated to Sweden. Other Nordic nations, including Norway and Denmark, have also accused Iran of utilizing criminal elements for operations on their soil.

By Aghakazim Guliyev