The police estimate that around 600 criminals with ties to Sweden are engaged in organized criminal activity directed at Sweden from abroad. One of the countries where criminals according to the police have established themselves is the United Arab Emirates, primarily in Dubai.
Requesting legal assistance from there has previously been described as almost hopeless, but that may be about to change. On Tuesday, the United Arab Emirates signed two bilateral agreements with Sweden on extradition and legal assistance in criminal cases.
The signing took place in Abu Dhabi, where Sweden was represented by Minister of Justice Gunnar Strömmer (The Moderate Party).
This is a partially new way of thinking and working, where we need to update our toolbox in light of the development we've seen in organized crime, he says to TT.
When the police find that around 600 criminals with ties to Sweden are in other countries and committing crimes against Sweden, it's obvious that law enforcement needs to find new tools to follow up.
Will follow them
The hope is that the extradition agreement will lead to individuals being extradited to Sweden soon.
It's our goal that more people will be extradited to Sweden, and I see that there is a strong common interest between our two countries.
The agreements send a clear signal to criminals who are staying abroad, he believes.
We will follow them no matter where they go, and we are prepared to do a lot in terms of cooperation with other countries to track them down, arrest them, and bring them back to Sweden where they can be prosecuted and punished.
Demands on Sweden
What does this mean for Sweden's demands on a country that is not a democracy and has the death penalty?
There is a reciprocity in such an agreement, of course. Then, the handling of the agreements must always be in accordance with the legislation in both countries, which also applies in this case that everything that is done must comply with Swedish law.
Strömmer says that both countries have a strong interest in criminals with ties to Sweden who are in the United Arab Emirates being arrested.
It's about both our security and safety, but also the security and safety in the United Arab Emirates. Through these agreements, we can try to move forward together.
Extradition is actualized when a state requests that a person who is outside its territory be handed over to stand trial or serve a sentence.
International legal assistance in criminal cases refers to measures that prosecutors and courts need assistance with during investigations and trials, such as interrogations, seizures, searches, or secret coercive measures.
Source: The Government Offices
The United Arab Emirates consists of seven absolute monarchies: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharja, Ras al-Khayma, Ajman, Fujayra, and Umm al-Qaywayn.
As recently as the 1950s, the desert states made a living from fishing and smuggling, but then they discovered oil and the money flowed.
The current state was formed in 1971 and has a material standard of living that is envied by few. The prosperity is so high that citizens do not pay income tax.
Democracy, on the other hand, is far away. The royal houses have a monopoly on power and cannot be questioned. At the federal level, there is a small element of elections, but universal suffrage or regular elections have not been introduced. Freedom of assembly is restricted, and the judiciary is used to silence regime critics.
Oil and gas account for 30 percent of GDP, but oil's share is decreasing. Abu Dhabi has over 90 percent of the country's oil reserves and accounts for an equally large share of oil production. The rest is mainly found in Dubai.
Source: Landguiden/UI
