"NOTE", the Kronofogden writes in the ad, "does not meet the requirements of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency for the purpose of hunting. Only target shooting".
They are three AR-15 and AR-9 rifles, controversial semi-automatic weapons with military-style magazines, which hold 30 rounds or more, and which look much more like the automatic carbines used by the Armed Forces than weapons for hunting or shooting sports.
From the same person, the Kronofogden also seized an automatic pistol of the brand Glock 17 with 11 magazines, each of which holds 17 plus 2 cartridges and which is equipped with a so-called red dot sight.
The fatal school shooting in Örebro gave rise to a political debate about semi-automatic rifles. The murderer Rikard Andersson had a license for two pump-action shotguns and two semi-automatic rifles and carried three of these weapons with him into Risbergska where he shot ten people to death.
In the Riksdag, votes were raised to revoke hunting licenses for semi-automatic rifles, but politics ended up in a compromise. No new hunting licenses are issued, but whoever has a license for such a weapon can continue to use it.
- You can sell weapons on, there is no restriction on them. But the buyer will not be authorized to use these weapons for hunting or killing animals. You can get permission to use them for target shooting, but that is the only purpose that is allowed, says Andreas Nordström, lawyer at the Police Authority.
Licenses for target shooting are given to people who are active members of shooting clubs and who have undergone the usual police fitness test. Such things as drunk driving or convictions for serious crimes can mean obstacles to obtaining a license for a weapon.
- It is a bit difficult to give a general answer to that, but if you are to be general, things that involve alcohol, drugs or violence usually result in a rejection, says Andreas Nordström.
From the Kronofogden's side, there is thus no obstacle to selling the three semi-automatic rifles that are out to the highest bidder at auction.
- For all weapons that require a license, if you win the bidding, you must then be able to show a license. You have to apply for a license for that particular weapon from the police and show identification to be able to pick it up, says Thomas Sjöstrand, section manager for sales at the Kronofogden.
The weapons in question are not suspected of having been used for criminal activities, but have come to the Crown Enforcement Agency via the police. The pistol and the three semi-automatic rifles were seized by the police in connection with a major investigation into child rape and child pornography offences.
A 42-year-old man from Stockholm was convicted in January of this year for rape against children on 46 occasions and 14 cases of sexual abuse against children, as well as several crimes such as sexual molestation and child pornography crimes.
The 42-year-old had groped girls on Snapchat and subjected ten girls aged 10 to 13 to abuse over the internet. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and to pay millions in damages.
The prosecutor in the case demanded the seizure of more than SEK 2.2 million, and among the items the police seized were the weapons that are now being sold by the Bailiff.
- You can of course think what you want about it, but our task and mission includes selling what is foreclosed property if there is a surplus value that can pay the debts. This means that we must sell what can legally be sold, says Thomas Sjöstrand.
