Rabat – Swedish authorities have extradited two Swedish nationals suspected of playing key roles in large-scale drug trafficking networks from Morocco to Sweden, according to the Swedish Police.
The extraditions followed a recently signed cooperation agreement between the Swedish and Moroccan police, which helped authorities locate and arrest the wanted suspects in Morocco, added the statement.
“In a short time, we have seen several extraditions of dangerous Swedish criminals from Morocco,” said Jonas Hemmar, deputy head of the international unit at Sweden’s National Operations Department (NOA). The statement thanked Moroccan police for their “professional and constructive cooperation.”
The two men will be placed in pre-trial detention in Sweden.
Suspected drug network leader
One of the extradited suspects is a 28-year-old man whom Swedish authorities believe led a drug trafficking network supplying major criminal groups in Sweden and other Nordic countries.
Authorities allege that the network imported drugs into Sweden before distributing them through its criminal contacts.
During the spring of 2025, Swedish police seized large quantities of drugs in Uppsala, Stockholm and Malmö. The seizures included 94 kilograms of 3-CMC, a synthetic drug, and 56 kilograms of amphetamine.
The 28-year-old man is suspected of large-scale drug trafficking and attempted extortion.
Moroccan authorities arrested him on March 30 at Tangier Airport after Interpol issued a Red Notice for his arrest.
Second suspect linked to cannabis trafficking
The second extradited suspect is a 42-year-old man who allegedly held a senior position in a criminal network.
Swedish authorities accuse him of playing a key role in organizing and trafficking large quantities of cannabis to Sweden between 2020 and 2021.
Several people linked to the case have already been convicted in Sweden.
Two more Swedes arrested in Morocco
Swedish authorities also said Moroccan police recently arrested two other Swedish nationals.
One is linked to a criminal network in western Sweden and is wanted for particularly serious drug and weapons offenses.
The other is a 28-year-old man who allegedly violated a prison sentence linked to aggravated assault against a woman and aggravated unlawful threats.
Erik Friberg, a unit chief in the Swedish Customs Service’s criminal division in the south, welcomed the arrests and extraditions.
“It is very positive that we can now pursue suspects based in Morocco who control organized crime in Sweden,” he said, stressing the importance of targeting those who organize criminal networks rather than only their lower-level members.
Måns Biörklund, acting chamber chief at Sweden’s National Unit for International and Organized Crime, said the cases show that Swedish authorities will continue pursuing suspects regardless of where they hide.
“Wherever in the world criminals hide, we act to investigate crimes and bring perpetrators to justice,” he said.
Abdellatif Hammouchi, Morocco’s Director General of National Security and Territorial Surveillance, and Swedish National Police Commissioner Petra Lundh signed the security cooperation agreement during Hammouchi’s visit to Sweden in April. The agreement focuses on combating organized crime, drug trafficking, cross-border criminal networks, and cybercrime, while strengthening information sharing, police training, and operational cooperation between the two countries.
