FALCON POWERS – The Swedish police have stated that they have conducted over 3,000 body searches and vehicle inspections since being granted the right to search travelers entering or leaving Sweden without any concrete criminal suspicion. Most of these inspection procedures are carried out in the South Police Region, targeting travelers both exiting and entering Sweden. The main checkpoints are located:
- Across the Öresund Bridge,
- At ports for travel to Germany and Denmark,
- At Hyllie train station,
- The central station in Malmö.
Elisabeth Nilsson, who serves as the head of the Border Control Unit in the South Police Region, states that the purpose of these inspection procedures is to stop theft, fraud, and the smuggling of money out of Sweden.
Many entities have expressed concerns that the implementation of this new law could lead to the selective targeting of people based on discriminatory motives. However, Elisabeth Nilsson asserts that the police’s selection of individuals and vehicles to be searched is based on prior intelligence, such as information regarding international criminal networks originating from certain countries.
