In a press release from the US Department of the Treasury, the attack on the Israeli embassy in Stockholm in January 2024 is mentioned, which the Foxtrot network is accused of having orchestrated on behalf of Iran. A hand grenade was then thrown at the embassy, but did not detonate.
The Treasury Department's sanctions are based on the criminal network's alleged ties to Iran.
The sanctions mean that all property and interests in property in the USA belonging to individuals linked to the network will be blocked. This also applies to property held or controlled by individuals in the USA.
Säpo: Iran exploits networks
"The Treasury Department, together with our American government and international partners, will continue to hold those who try to promote Iran's malicious and destabilizing agenda accountable," says Finance Minister Scott Bessent in the press release.
Rawa Majid, also known as the Kurdish Fox, comes from Uppsala but left Sweden several years ago. He has been internationally wanted for a long time for involvement in serious crime, including murder, linked to the Foxtrot network.
According to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad's information, 38-year-old Majid was recruited by Iran in the fall of 2023.
The intelligence service has stated that Swedish criminal networks have been hired by Iran to attack Israeli targets in Stockholm. The Security Service and the police have also confirmed that Iran exploits criminal networks to carry out violent acts against other states, groups, or individuals in Sweden – specifically mentioning Israel and Jewish interests as targets.
Marco Rubio: Notorious gang
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has also spoken out, calling Foxtrot a "notorious criminal gang".
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (M) tells TT that the government has close cooperation with countries within and outside the EU in the work to tackle gang crime abroad.
From a Swedish perspective, we view positively the steps taken by the USA, which means that key players in the networks can be disrupted and prevented from continuing their criminal activities, he says, and continues.
The US decision to impose sanctions on a key Swedish actor can hopefully contribute to further strengthening the operational work carried out by the authorities.
The Foxtrot network, led by Rawa Majid from Uppsala, has for several years been engaged in extensive drug smuggling to Sweden. The network has allied itself with several criminal networks in Sweden, which have assisted Foxtrot in carrying out serious violent crimes.
Between 2021 and 2023, the network was involved in at least four separate conflicts with other gangs, including the Dalen network in southern Stockholm.
In the summer of 2023, an internal split occurred within the network, resulting in a bloody conflict between individuals in Foxtrot. Among other things, the mother of one of the leading figures, Ismail Abdo, was murdered in her home outside Uppsala.
Abdo later became a leader in a new, rival network known to the police as Rumba.
Another leading figure in the conflict was shot dead in Baghdad, Iraq, in early 2024. Three Swedes have been sentenced to death in Iraq for the murder. One of the sentences was later commuted to imprisonment.
Source: PM from the National Operational Department (Noa), TT
