One of the accused drug smugglers runs his own treatment centre for addicts. It is one of the details that stands out in a large drug haul in Sundsvall that has been uncovered by the Customs Authority.
"My colleagues have reacted during the investigation to the fact that a company that is supposed to treat and support addicts, in reality, has been a hub for extensive smuggling and distribution of narcotics", says Miriam Monsell, investigation group leader at the Customs Authority's criminal division North, according to a press release.
The surveillance operation began in December 2023 when two packages from Poland containing thousands of drug tablets were discovered. The packages were addressed to false recipients at two support centres in Sundsvall.
The Customs Authority states that they subsequently, through continued surveillance of individuals who picked up suspicious packages, managed to link three individuals to 13 packages from Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. The three men are in their mid-30s.
One of them was arrested in February. In his car, a package containing nearly 190,000 drug tablets was found – as well as a forged driving licence. The drug gang is suspected of having a system in place to collect smuggled packages using forged or stolen driving licences.
"We have discovered six cases where completely innocent people have had their identities stolen by this gang", says Miriam Monsell.
The three suspected men were charged on Thursday for, among other things, aggravated drug smuggling and aggravated drug offences.
They deny the charges.
