File photo showing police cordon in the capital Stockholm, Sweden. (REUTERS)
Swedish police have arrested several people involved in inter-gang violence, with the authorities claiming the action has "prevented a murder."
The Swedish Public Prosecutor's Office announced on Friday that seven suspects were arrested during a large police operation in Sundsvall, about 400 kilometres north of Stockholm, on Thursday. At the same time, weapons and large quantities of drugs were seized. A number of suspected explosive devices were also found.
The charges against the suspects include preparation of murder, serious weapons offences and serious drug offences, according to Public Prosecutor Karin Everitt.
She said the police operation had prevented "several serious violent crimes - including a murder and a number of explosions."
Sweden has been struggling with rampant gang crime for several years.
In recent weeks, the Scandinavian EU country has once again experienced a wave of violence, with shots fired and explosive devices detonated in the entrances to residential blocks on an almost daily basis.
Several gangs are in conflict over control of the drug market in Sundsvall, according to recent Swedish media reports.
Much of the recent violence has been concentrated in the Stockholm area. On Thursday night, there was another explosion in the entrance of an apartment building in the Akalla district. As is often the case, no one was injured, but there was damage to property.
Elsewhere in the country shots were fired during the night in Jönköping and Linköping. Again, the police say no one was injured in those incidents.
