From July 1, Swedish Customs can seize property on behalf of the Enforcement Authority. The agency thus gains a new tool in the fight against criminal finances.
Swedish Customs will be able to take property into custody without the Enforcement Authority present on site. The agency must also notify the Enforcement Authority when such property is found during inspections.
The change gives Swedish Customs, the Economic Crime Authority and the Coast Guard the same role police have had in remote seizures. Customs officers have previously had to let vehicles through despite known debts.
– It has been a wound in the Customs heart when we have had to let a car through, even though we know the person in the car has debts, says Gürsu Öncü, national coordinator for criminal finances at Swedish Customs.
The aim is to make it easier for crime victims to receive compensation. Swedish Customs stresses that the task is not to chase debtors but to stop smuggling.
