Swedish police specialized unit Eken and chief Linda Staaf Bydén’s relatives, Digi Mart USA News (Sweden): Swedish police are concentrating resources against the criminal economy, which Dagens Nyheter (DN) reports is estimated to turn over nearly one billion Swedish kronor a day. National police chief Petra Lundh has called economic crime one of Sweden’s largest societal problems.
The new unit Eken, the Criminal Economy Unit, was launched after the summer within the National Operational Department (Noa). It is expected to eventually include up to 200 employees reassigned from other roles, and about 15 staff are currently working on building it under acting chief Linda Staaf Bydén.
According to DN, several police officers say the chief’s family connections have become a problem for Eken. The issue is linked to Operation Candy, an international investigation into narcotics trafficking and money laundering that has led to raids in many countries and the arrest of around 30 people.
Three of those arrested have family ties to Staaf Bydén, one suspected of particularly gross narcotics and money laundering offenses. All suspects deny wrongdoing.
DN reports that these ties have created a risk of bias that already led Staaf Bydén to leave her post as Europol’s Sweden chief. Several sources told DN that police staff who worked on Candy cannot work for Eken under her leadership because they investigated her relatives.
One source said these employees may not be considered for Eken during its startup phase, when the right expertise may be most important.
Operation Candy is one of Sweden’s largest criminal investigations, with about 50 people working on it. Sources described them as highly competent specialists in complex financial investigations.
DN reports that several independent sources say planned transfers to Eken have been paused because of the bias risk.
Police told DN in writing that the unit’s build-up is ongoing and that no decisions have been made on the exact number or identity of staff affected. The authority said no concrete conflict of interest has arisen in connection with Candy and Eken, and that work to prevent potential conflicts is continuous.
Police also said no general bias assessment can be made for employees who worked on Candy, and that each person must be assessed individually.
Several officers told DN that Staaf Bydén’s appointment upset many people internally from the start, and warned that trust in the authority could suffer. One source questioned why she could not remain at Europol but could lead Eken.
Staaf Bydén declined a DN interview request. She is not suspected of any crime.
She has previously confirmed the family ties but said the individuals are not close relatives.
Operation Candy is a Swedish-led international police operation focused on money laundering and large-scale narcotics trafficking, conducted with Europol and other countries. Police have arrested 32 people, with about ten in custody.
In late October a man in a top position at a Swedish property company was remanded on suspicion of gross money laundering. Prosecutor Tove Kullberg said the investigation is not expected to conclude until next summer at the earliest, and indictments are not expected before autumn 2027.
