For years, international theft gangs were able to move stolen goods worth billions of kronor out of Sweden while the Swedish Customs lacked sufficient authority to intervene. One year after the legal change, the agency has conducted over 5,000 checks on outbound traffic—and is now seeing signs that attempts to smuggle out stolen goods are declining.

On September 1 last year, a new crime—export fencing—was introduced, giving Swedish Customs significantly greater powers to act against stolen goods leaving Sweden. Just over a year later, the agency describes its work as successful.

Between January and August alone this year, the agency conducted over 5,000 checks of outbound traffic. Most took place in the South and East regions, as much of the traffic with suspected stolen goods travels by ferry toward the Baltics and Poland.

The Customs reports that large amounts of stolen property have been stopped and several individuals have been convicted. Late summer also brought a noted decrease in the number of cases involving the export of stolen goods, primarily in the East region but also in the South.

“Our 5,000 checks so far this year have probably had a preventive effect. They may have contributed to making Sweden less attractive to travel to in order to commit crimes,” says Director General Johan Norrman.

He also points to the Border Police’s work in stopping known criminals at their point of entry.

“They are stopped at the border and must return home immediately without setting foot in Sweden,” says Norrman.

Stolen Goods Worth Billions Exported

The background to the legislative change is the extensive operations of international theft gangs in Sweden. According to the government’s proposal, the insurance industry estimated the value of stolen goods exported from Sweden at about SEK 1.5 billion per year.

The real figure was believed to be significantly higher since the estimate did not include uninsured goods or the deductibles borne by victims.

The police agency has previously estimated that international criminal networks account for about half of home burglaries and as much as 90 percent of thefts involving cars, car parts, boat engines and agricultural machinery.

Before the legal change, the act of taking stolen goods out of the country was not a specific crime as it is now, making it more difficult for Customs to act against outbound transports. As early as 2016, Kent Ekeroth, then the Sweden Democrats’ spokesperson on criminal policy, submitted a proposal on precisely this point.

During surveillance for smuggling of narcotics, weapons, and other prohibited goods, Customs often encounters suspected stolen goods on their way out of Sweden. But Customs are not allowed to detain the goods or their transporters while waiting for the police. They have to passively watch as suspects—and their presumed stolen goods—are driven onto ships leaving the country without further inspection.

We believe Customs should have the authority to stop, seize, and detain goods or transporters while waiting to hand them over to the police.

However, the proposal was always voted down until the so-called Tidö government adopted it and criminalized the act. Since September 2025, export fencing is its own offense, with a penalty of up to two years in prison. For aggravated export fencing, the maximum sentence is six years. Attempts, preparation, and incitement are also punishable.

Van Full of Stolen Property

One of the bigger cases occurred at Masthuggskajen in Gothenburg in November last year. Customs inspectors there stopped a van that turned out to be loaded with, among other things, a heat pump, two plate compactors, a floor saw, ten tires, scaffolding, and other items.

The total value was estimated at over SEK 500,000. The driver, a Bosnian citizen, was later convicted of aggravated export fencing and sentenced to six months in prison.

In Karlshamn, another transport was stopped while on its way by ferry to Klaipeda, Lithuania. The cargo included two ATVs, a wheel loader, and four riding lawnmowers worth about SEK 600,000.

The driver was able to present receipts for the ATVs, but when the details were checked, it turned out that the company listed as seller had not sold them. The driver was later sentenced to an eight-month suspended prison sentence.

At Norvik, outside Nynäshamn, a Lithuanian-registered van was stopped in February this year, towing a Norwegian-registered caravan with the chassis number ground off. The vehicle combination contained four boat engines, tire machines, and a snow blower, with a total estimated value of around SEK 330,000.

Customs: Wants to Do More

The checks are at the same time resource-intensive. Swedish Customs points out that inspectors often have very little time to determine whether the items in a transport are stolen, while drivers may present purchase agreements and other documents that need to be verified.

The agency says it wants to do more, but resources must be allocated between checks on outbound stolen goods and traditional tasks at the border, not least the fight against drugs and weapons entering Sweden.

Customs’ conclusion after the first year of the new law is that things are moving in the right direction. The number of suspected attempts at export fencing has declined, while the number of checks has increased. The agency itself assesses that the increased risk of getting caught at the border may have made Sweden less attractive for international theft gangs.