Stockholm, November 10, 2025 — Sweden has launched one of the most ambitious cross-border policing campaigns in its history. In coordination with Europol and law enforcement partners across three continents, Swedish authorities are moving to dismantle the overseas leadership of violent criminal networks operating within the country. The mission’s target: not street-level offenders, but the strategic masterminds directing violence and drug trafficking from abroad.
At the centre of this effort is a list of around 40 high-value criminal figures across 12 countries. Five of them are classified as critical priorities by the Swedish National Police Board. Chief among them: Ali Shehab, 21, considered one of Sweden’s most dangerous and elusive organized crime figures.
The Foxtrot Network and the Case of Ali Shehab
Prosecutors identify Ali Shehab as a senior commander within the Foxtrot network, linked to five murders and 23 attempted murders since 2022. His operations include the June 2023 Farsta Centrum shooting, which left two people dead and five injured.
Shehab is believed to be hiding in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, exploiting gaps in extradition law and local political divisions to avoid capture. Sweden has issued an Interpol Red Notice and opened direct channels with Kurdish authorities in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, where investigators have already conducted field missions and intelligence exchanges.
Despite mounting international pressure, Shehab remains beyond reach. His case reflects a new generation of criminal leadership: remote, digitally enabled, and globally networked. Using encrypted messaging apps, cryptocurrency, and a dispersed network of proxies, these leaders can direct lethal operations inside Sweden while living thousands of kilometres away.
“This is not organized crime as we knew it,” said Deputy National Police Chief Stefan Hector. “These are CEOs of criminal enterprises — operating with global reach, financial infrastructure, and the ability to outmanoeuvre national law enforcement.”
Mapping the Global Network
Police intelligence suggests around 800 individuals based abroad influence Sweden’s criminal landscape through drug trafficking, contract killings, and money laundering. Of these, 40 are classified as key players, controlling recruitment, logistics, and financing.
Their operations are concentrated in four main hubs:
| Country | Primary Activities | Recent Developments |
| Iraq | Command centres for Foxtrot, Malmö, and Backan networks | Swedish missions in Erbil/Sulaymaniyah; one extradition in 2024 |
| Morocco | Transit route for cocaine and amphetamines; recruitment base | Swedish delegation arriving Nov 2025 with list of priority suspects |
| Turkey | Money laundering, weapons smuggling, digital communications | Europol task force since 2023; €120 million in assets seized |
| Dubai (UAE) | Offshore finance, real estate laundering, diplomatic cover | Collaboration with UAE FIU; 12 arrests in 2024 linked to Swedish gangs |
Together, these hubs account for over 70% of the identified key actors. New intelligence is now prompting Sweden to expand its focus to Tunisia and Lebanon, where emerging cells are supporting Nordic criminal networks.
From Diplomacy to Extradition: Sweden’s Global Operations
Sweden’s strategy is no longer reactive. It combines diplomacy, law enforcement, and international legal cooperation.
- 2024: More than 35 arrests of Swedish-linked suspects abroad through joint Europol missions.
- 2024 (Mexico): Arrest and extradition of Mikael Ahlström Tenezos, senior Backan leader — Sweden’s first Latin American extradition in a decade.
- 2025 (Iraq): Return of a senior Foxtrot member after serving a local prison term, marking rare judicial coordination with Iraqi authorities.
This week, Deputy Police Chief Stefan Hector and Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer are leading a mission to Morocco, carrying a confidential list of three top suspects tied to Western Sweden’s drug trade. According to SVT sources, they include:
- A Backan network leader in his 40s, previously on Europol’s “Most Wanted” list.
- A career trafficker in his 40s with multiple convictions never enforced due to jurisdictional gaps.
- A younger operative in his 30s linked to Sweden’s largest narcotics seizure — 1.2 tons of cocaine and 800 kg of amphetamine in 2020.
The delegation’s aim: either secure extradition or ensure long-term detention under Moroccan law to keep these figures out of circulation.
The Legal and Technological Battle
Sweden’s greatest challenge lies in how these networks operate and where they hide.
- Remote command: Leaders issue encrypted orders from abroad, moving funds via crypto wallets and shell companies in Dubai or Cyprus.
- Extradition gaps: Many key states — including Iraq and Morocco — lack formal treaties with Sweden, creating years-long delays.
- Resource asymmetry: Partner nations often lack digital forensics or judicial capacity for complex transnational cases.
To bridge these gaps, Sweden created Transnational Crime Units within the National Criminal Police. Each unit includes prosecutors, analysts, and liaison officers trained in cross-border law and digital intelligence. The units now coordinate with Europol, Interpol, and more than 20 partner agencies.
A Nordic Blueprint for Global Crime Fighting
Sweden’s campaign marks a turning point in Nordic law enforcement — a shift from domestic policing to global disruption of criminal ecosystems. Denmark, Finland, and Norway are watching closely as similar patterns emerge within their borders.
The government has earmarked SEK 1.2 billion (€100 million) over three years for this new model, funding international liaisons, forensic capacity, and the creation of a Nordic Transnational Crime Task Force.
“This is no longer just about catching killers,” said Professor Erik Lindström of the University of Gothenburg. “It’s about dismantling the infrastructure of organized crime — the money, logistics, and influence behind the violence.”
Justice Without Borders
The pursuit of Ali Shehab, the Morocco extradition efforts, and the financial crackdowns in Dubai are not isolated actions. They are the pillars of a coordinated, long-term strategy to cripple the command structure of Sweden’s most violent gangs.
The path ahead is complex, marked by political, legal, and operational hurdles. But Sweden’s message is unambiguous: criminal leaders can no longer hide behind borders.
As Minister Strömmer stated before departing for Morocco:
“We will not wait for them to come to us. We will go to them — and bring them to justice.”
Sources:
- Swedish National Police Board, Transnational Crime Report 2025
- Europol, Organized Crime Threat Assessment for the Nordic Region, Q3 2025
- Interpol Red Notice Database (No. 2024-11874)
- SVT Investigative Unit, Gang Leaders Abroad (2024–2025)
- Swedish Ministry of Justice, Press Briefing, November 8, 2025
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