Mapping Organised Crime : Functional Differentiation and Spatial Patterns of Crime Locations in Sweden

Sammanfattning

Organised crime has become increasingly associated with drug trafficking, firearm violence, and financial crime in Sweden. Existing research has primarily focused on offenders, criminal networks, and illicit markets, while less attention has been directed towards the locations through which organised crime is organised and carried out. This study examines the spatial organisation of organised crime-related locations in three Swedish counties, with particular focus on spatial clustering, functional differentiation, and environmental context.The analysis is based on 304 unique locations identified through Swedish court material linked to encrypted communication platforms such as EncroChat, ANOM, and SkyECC. Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and statistical analysis, the study examines how locations are distributed across space, the extent to which locations are multifunctional, and how different operational functions relate to surrounding environmental and socioeconomic conditions. The results show that organised crime-related locations are spatially clustered across urban environments rather than randomly distributed. Land use emerged as the clearest source of functional differentiation. Transfer-related activities were more strongly associated with transport-oriented environments, whereas storage and financial activities were primarily concentrated within residential settings. In contrast, socioeconomic conditions and transport accessibility showed comparatively limited differentiation between functions. The analyses also indicate that several operational functions are spatially connected to transfer-related locations, suggesting that some sites may operate as logistical nodes within broader organised crime activities. Overall, the study highlights the importance of spatial organisation and environmental context for understanding how organised crime operates across urban space. By focusing on locations rather than offenders alone, the study contributes to a more spatially grounded understanding of organised crime operations