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Armed men hit Stockholm auctioneers

The Bukowski auction house in central Stockholm was raided on Thursday lunchtime with the thieves reported to have made off with 12 million kronor ($1.5 million) in looted jewellery.

Armed men hit Stockholm auctioneers

Stockholm police confirmed that no one had been hurt in the attack which occurred while Bukowski’s was holding viewings for its upcoming spring auction.

“Three armed men go into the auction house with firearms. They come out after a short while and run into a parked car and flee in it. When we come into contact with the staff, we are informed that no one has been physically harmed,” said Bjorn Engstrom at the Stockholm police.

Bukowski’s is currently holding its showings before its classic spring auction which will run from June 1st-4th. Among the items of jewellery set to go under the hammer on June 2nd are several expensive items, all with reserve prices in excess of 70,000 kronor.

The police located the getaway car on Klara Östra Kyrkogatan, just a few blocks from Arsenalsgatan, and are currently searching for witnesses to determine how the men continued their journey from there.

Among the precious items include a ring with an emerald-cut 5.29 carat diamond, as well as two diamonds set in white gold with a reserve price of between 750,000-800,000 kronor, in a total haul reported to be worth around 12 million kronor.

“A showing was being conducted when the robbery occurred. They took jewellery with a reserve price of 12 million kronor,” said Charlotte Bergstrom, CIO at Bukowski’s, to the Aftonbladet daily.

An emergency services physician is currently stationed outside the auction house and he has been able to speak to staff members and ascertain that no physical injuries were sustained in the attack.

“But many are upset and shocked. They tell some varying stories that are not always consistent, this is probably due to the shock,” the physician told the TT news agency reported at the scene.

Around 20 people were present in the show room at the time including staff members and visitors.

Under the conditions of sale, detailed in the Bukowski catalogue, all submitted items are insured to a maximum value corresponding to the reserve price.

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CRIME

IN NUMBERS: Has Sweden’s wave of deadly gang violence peaked?

The number of deadly shootings in Sweden has fallen after hitting a record in 2022, according to the latest annual statistics from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå). But violent killings continued to rise and more women and youths were victims.

IN NUMBERS: Has Sweden's wave of deadly gang violence peaked?

How bad was 2023 for violent homicide in general? 

With 121 violent homicides recorded, 2023 was the worst year for murder in Sweden since 2020, when 124 people were killed in violent attacks, continuing a rising trend seen since 2021. The number of violent killings was up 4 percent on 2022, when 116 people were killed. 

It’s worth pointing out, however, that this is still lower than the 129 people who died of “murder, manslaughter or violent attack” in Sweden back in 1989,  when the population was nearly 20 percent lower. 

The graph below shows how the number of violent homicides in Sweden rose sharply in about 2014, after which it has seen a gradual but unsteady increase.  

Homicides in Sweden between 2013 and 2023. Source: Brå
 
What about deadly shootings?
 
When it comes to the gang shootings that have dominated headlines in Sweden in recent years, there were signs of improvement, with 53 people shot dead in 2023, down from a record 63 in 2022.  
 
It’s hardly great news though, as 2023 still witnessed the second highest number of deadly shootings ever recorded in Sweden. 
 
The number of fatal stabbings also increased slightly in 2023 to 41 from 35 in 2022. 

 

Deadly shootings, stabbings and other forms of violent murder between 2013 and 2023. Source: Brå
 
Tragically, in 2023, gang criminals in Sweden increasingly began to target the relatives and loved ones of their rivals and also to use minors in their gang wars, leading to a spike in the number of women and youths killed. 
 
Ten more women and nine more people under the age of 18 died in violent attacks in 2023 than in 2022, pushing the number of female victims to 33 and the number of youth victims to 17. 
 
“This year more minors and women have been homicide victims compared with the year before,” Jan Lundbeck, a statistician at the council said in a press release. “This is partly a result of conflicts in criminal circles which had had deadly consequences in which people under the ae of 18 and even women have been affected.” 

Ten of the 33 women killed were in a relationship with their killer, the same number as in 2022. 

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