New report sheds light on the fight against organized crime in Denmark and Sweden
Police of Finland
15.5.2025 9.00
News item
The report underpinned the update of the strategy against organized crime and the implementation of the Government Program in Finland.
A report by the Police University College and the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy at the University of Helsinki examines how Denmark and Sweden combat organized crime and gang crime, and the impact and effectiveness of these measures.
The report reviewed approximately 170 measures included in Denmark's four organized crime "gang packages" for 2009-2023 and Sweden's corresponding strategic programs for 2019 and 2024. Research evidence based on dozens of separate studies on the effectiveness of measures to combat organized crime was presented in detail.
"The strategic programs for combating organized crime in Denmark and Sweden include many measures that have not been tried in Finland. The Danish and Swedish models may not be directly applicable to us, but it is possible to copy the basic idea behind a particular countermeasure and tailor it to suit Finnish conditions," says Vesa Muttilainen, Senior Researcher at the Police University College.
Four themes emerged
The report identified four key areas of strategic importance in the fight against organized crime: children and young people, weapons and violence, the criminal economy, and the international dimension.
"Protecting children and young people from crime is of paramount importance, as becoming embroiled in criminal networks often has long-lasting negative social and economic consequences. Organized crime traditionally involves weapons, explosives, and violence, so new measures targeting them are constantly needed. Money has been a key driver of organized crime, so tackling the flows of criminal money and the infiltration of businesses and public sector organizations will help curb the criminal economy. The leadership and operations of organized crime activities are strongly international in perspective," explains Pirjo Jukarainen, Researcher at the Police University College.
The report emphasizes that crime related to these themes does not only occur in physical environments, but increasingly also in cyber environments. Both environments must therefore be taken into account when allocating resources and directing the activities of public authorities, and the authorities must be flexible in responding to the constantly evolving operating environment.
Experiments are an important part for developing control measures
The report's literature review found little evidence based on robust research designs of the effectiveness of measures against organized crime in Denmark and Sweden. Promising results have been achieved in areas such as individual support for young people, operations by the authorities in vulnerable areas, and increased camera surveillance.
"If we expect actions against organized crime to be based on strong research evidence, we will have access to a much narrower range of possible measures. Consequently, various agile experiments without strong research evidence may also play an important role in developing countermeasures," says Emma Villman, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Criminology and Legal Policy at the University of Helsinki.
According to the authors of the report, stronger and more diverse research data on organized crime and its prevention will be needed. Research-based evaluation should, therefore, be a factor in the development and implementation of a strategy to combat organized crime.
The authorities in the target countries themselves had largely positive experiences with various countermeasures against organized crime. These measures include tougher penalties, restricting the activities of criminal gangs, preventing recruitment into crime, and supporting people seeking a way out of criminal circles. In addition, the conditions for criminal investigations and cooperation between authorities will be improved, and vulnerable areas and target groups will be protected.
Tougher sanctions and stricter restrictions and controls have been especially prevalent in Denmark, although they are also used in Sweden. They can help to combat organized crime, but widespread adoption may also raise concerns about citizens' privacy, personal data protection, fundamental rights, or human rights.
Report based on extensive data
The report was prepared under a project by the Nordic Council of Ministers entitled "Tackling Organized Crime: Viewpoints on Nordic Policies a Practices (TOC24)". The project is linked to the update of Finland's strategy against organized crime, coordinated by the Ministry of Justice.
The report was based on research literature and official documents. It also used observations made during study visits to the target countries and statistical data on organized crime.
The report has been published in Finnish in the Police University College's publication series and in English in the Nordic Council of Ministers' publication series.
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