Europol Targets Illegal Gambling Gangs With Raids In Sweden And Spain
Europol has confirmed its intelligence has been used on a major operation to combat illegal gambling gangs on the continent.
The organisation, which is the EU’s law enforcement agency, announced it carried out a coordinated law enforcement operation in Sweden and Spain between 28 and 29 November
Europol was targeting what the agency says was a violent criminal network that had been operating in the Stockholm area.
Illegal gambling was a main focus of the gang, while the network has also been linked to other crimes such as drug trafficking in Sweden and across the Nordic region.
Half a dozen premises in the Swedish city of Stockholm, as well as in Mercia, Spain, were raided by law enforcement officers as a result of the ongoing investigation.
Around 150 officers were involved in the proceedings, which led to five key suspects being arrested. Two of those were in Spain, with the other three arrests taking place in Sweden.
Estimated Annual Turnover
According to the Europol investigation, an illegal gambling network with an estimated annual turnover of €20 million was targeted in the raids.
Money laundering operations have also been identified by the Europol investigation as well.
Europol stated that the group “operated as a key facilitator within the wider criminal environment” by linking up with other gangs.
The agency confirmed it had worked closely with the Spanish National Police and the Swedish Police Authority in order to carry out the raids.
Europol said in a statement released by the agency on December 1:
These latest actions are part of a wider, multi-agency strategy to systematically dismantle networks that harm local communities while relying on international criminal connections.
Europol plays a central role in this approach by linking international intelligence with local enforcement actions. By connecting national authorities across borders, Europol ensures that information collected in one jurisdiction can be turned into operational impact in another – including on the streets of Stockholm.
The Swedish city of Stockholm, where the raids by Europol took place recently
Illegal Gambling Club
One of the properties raided by the Europol officers was a building in the Swedish city of Stockholm that was reportedly being used as an illegal gambling club.
Drugs that had been packaged up for resale were found at the raided properties, while Europol said it also found indications of potential human trafficking.
Authorities seized a large amount of cash – said to be several hundred thousand euros in total – while there were also plenty of luxury goods including high-end watches.
The raids in Sweden and Spain were carried out simultaneously by the Europol officers.
Latest European Crackdown
The targeted action from Europol in Stockholm and Mercia comes a short time after a pair of individuals who were suspected of running a group of illegal online casino websites were charged and remanded in custody in France.
Cross-border judicial cooperation through Eurojust was used to make the arrests, while the illegal gambling sites were said to have generated €1 billion in turnover in five years.
Fund transfers identified in the investigation totalling more than €100 million were found to have taken place between 2022 and 2025.
Searches on the islands of Cyprus and Malta were carried out as part of the investigation.
Authorities including Lithuania’s Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Czechia’s Municipal Prosecutors Office in Prague and police in Brussels were all involved.
