Authorities discover abandoned vehicles following mining company bankruptcies in Gällivare

Authorities in Gällivare have discovered numerous abandoned vehicles following the bankruptcy of several companies involved in mining operations in Norrbotten. Among the findings, one vehicle was left behind at a preschool, according to senior advisor Bertil Sjöö from Auktiona AB. Typically, banks and other lenders take control of remaining assets during a bankruptcy and may sell items, such as tractors, to recoup losses. However, in this case, over a hundred vehicles are unaccounted for.

Selling vehicles secretly before a bankruptcy is illegal. Officials suspect that the companies may have engaged in fraudulent activity by borrowing money from multiple financing companies to purchase the same vehicles. Sjöö described this situation as the largest and most complex bankruptcy he has encountered.

Lawyer Lars Lundberg has been examining the companies’ accounting and portrayed a scenario where a single individual established six different companies, all holding machinery. Last spring, all these businesses went bankrupt, leaving substantial debts to the tax authority, financial firms, regular suppliers, and employees who suddenly found themselves without pay. The reported debts amount to nearly one billion kronor.

Lundberg expressed uncertainty about the whereabouts of the missing funds. The Economic Crime Authority has launched a preliminary investigation into severe fraud and accounting offenses, indicating a significant inquiry. While the prosecutor has not confirmed the involvement of organized crime, they have not ruled it out either. The main figure in this case has been missing for at least a year, and Lundberg emphasized the urgency of establishing contact with him.