Investigation reveals organized crime infiltration in HVB homes across Sweden

A recent police report has revealed troubling links between several homes for youths (HVB-hem) in Sweden and organized crime. The investigation indicates that numerous facilities are operated by individuals associated with criminal networks, with some staff members being active members of these groups. Peter Allheim from the National Operations Department expressed concerns, stating, “Organized criminal activity has infiltrated the operations. Our findings show that network criminals are involved in all aspects of HVB operations, from ownership structures to management and staff.”

Social Services Minister Camilla Waltersson Grönvall condemned the situation, calling it “completely unacceptable” that criminals have penetrated various sectors of welfare, funded by taxpayer money. She expressed her anger over the exploitation of vulnerable children and youth, emphasizing that facilities that fail to uphold their duties should be shut down. The government intends to tackle this issue by amending certain confidentiality regulations to allow better information sharing among involved authorities.

Sara Persson from the Economic Crime Authority described the presence of criminally-run HVB operations as “extremely serious,” though she noted it has already been on the agency’s radar. She highlighted that this issue is not confined to HVB homes but is prevalent throughout the welfare system.

From January to November of last year, authorities recorded 2,865 incidents of escapes and deviations from Sis or HVB homes, with ten percent of these leading to serious violent crimes. The increasing intertwining of organized crime within welfare institutions has raised significant alarm among officials.