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Swedish police crack down on Topdogz gang

Published: 14 Jan 10 11:09 CET | Double click on a word to get a translation
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/24378/20100114/

Six suspected gang members were arrested on Wednesday as police in southern Sweden seized weapons and explosives in a sting operation targeting the Topdogz criminal organization, local newspaper Sydsvenskan reports.

The first three arrests came at four o'clock on Wednesday morning when police stopped a vehicle near Harlösa, 40 kilometres north east of Malmö, where the gang is believed to have access to premises.

"We found several weapons, ammunition and something that appeared to be explosives," police investigator Per Wejsfelt told news agency TT.

The weapons seized included shotguns, pistols and revolvers. Police have sent in the suspected explosive substance for forensic analysis.

Details remain scarce about three further arrests in the area on Wednesday evening that also led to weapons seizures.

Bravo, the Skåne region's anti-organized crime unit, followed up Wednesday's operation with nighttime raids on addresses connected to the detained suspects, resulting in the recovery of stolen goods "of considerable worth".

The Topdogz gang was formed over the course of last year and consists of ninety criminals from around the country. It is led by a 43-year-old former Hells Angels member.

The group denies police suspicions that it functions as the Hells Angels' "war machine" in Sweden, ready to fight side by side with the larger group in the case of conflicts with other gangs, Sydsvenskan reports.

TT/Paul O'Mahony (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6513)

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12:05 January 14, 2010 by kmbr
That's really a ridiculous name. Hard to be taken seriously as a bad ass if you are waling around calling yourselves TogDogz.
12:40 January 14, 2010 by Nemesis
The police know every one of there names. It is not like dealing with hidden terrorists. Most of them have actually tattooed there gang affiliations onto there bodies.

What is needed in Sweden and Denmark for dealing with the gangs is this. The Dublin Garda riot squad combined with the RUC riot squad and RUC special branch.
13:00 January 14, 2010 by Beynch
Is there any truth in that this pathetic TopDogz gang is in fact a pack of, weakling, effeminate drag queens who'd be more aptly named 'GayDogz"?
14:15 January 14, 2010 by Bender B Rodriquez
Nemesis: The police have no problem dealing with the gangs. What is needed is judges and laws that keep this people in jail...
14:48 January 14, 2010 by Nemesis
I have seen the police gang-interaction. The police are part of the problem as they are as corrupt and useless as the judges and prosecutors. Also the politicians here need to start growing a spine.
15:52 January 14, 2010 by Bender B Rodriquez
That may be the case for local police, but these raids and investigations are not performed by the local police, they are performed by the anti-organized crime units on county/national level. One of the reasons for this is exactly that local police can be subject to bribe/threat more easily.
16:08 January 14, 2010 by Gwrhyr
Sweden needs to legalize and regulate cannabis and use the tax money generated from it to significantly beef up its anti-organized crime efforts.
16:13 January 14, 2010 by Mucker
Nemesis, I don't know where you get your faith in the Gardai. Dublin has the highest rate of gangland killings in Europe. Areas of West Dublin, and large parts of Limrick are virtual no-go areas.
19:37 January 14, 2010 by Nemesis
@ Mucker

You will noice I specifically wrote riot squad. As in brute force without rules.

What is happening in Dublin and limerick you can lay firmly at the feet of Fianna Fail.
09:56 January 15, 2010 by diegoveggie
topdogz? hhhahahha what is it a gay hip hop band?
11:56 January 15, 2010 by square
Nemesis you are not making sense. One minute you mention Dublin Gardai riot squad then try to retract by only mentioning riot squad. Ireland both North and Republic have not been able to control crime through their policies so why the heck would Swedish authorities follow that example. "Brute force without rules", what an insane way of thinking.
00:53 January 17, 2010 by J Jack
xaktly! Sounds like a hip-hop group.
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