Swedes will have to get used to shootings, bombings and gang warfare, according to a Swedish intelligence chief.

In a recently published interview, Jale Poljarevius, head of intelligence in Sweden’s Mitt police region said that politicians’ speeches about breaking up gangs should be taken as nothing more than empty rhetoric. In his view, this will never happen.

What we can do is to dismantle the gangs that are currently active and neutralise them as much as possible. But new gangs will be created. I would like to stress that we will not be able to eliminate them completely.

The statement comes in the wake of recent gang wars in the Stockholm-Uppsala region. These are largely organised by gang leaders in exile from abroad who want to retake control of the areas. According to Mr Poljarevius, the presence of gang leaders abroad makes the fight against crime even more difficult.

They warn of a systemic collapse in the police force, referring to the current situation in which the criminal migrant gangs are increasingly using fraud, shootings, bombings and drugs to impose their will on, and flout Swedish law and authorities.

Even though Mr Poljarevius believes that the situation is serious, he thinks there is no reason to fear a collapse. However, he agrees that the situation is complex and difficult.

We look like a scenario from some bad American utopia. But it’s not, it’s reality, and all that matters now is that we face up to this grim reality and then roll up our sleeves and keep fighting and make the best of what we have,

– the intelligence chief said

Mr Poljarevius also referred to the understaffing and lack of resources that the police have been struggling with for a long time, all of which has led to a situation where they are often unable to investigate serious crimes.