Sweden's Ystad Port Struggles with Customs Staffing Amidst Rising Amphetamine Seizures

Ystad port in Sweden has become a significant entry point for amphetamines, accounting for nearly 40% of the country's total seizures in the first six months of the year. However, the Swedish Customs agency faces a critical staffing shortage, leaving personnel unable to monitor half the traffic entering this high-risk harbor. "The biggest problem is that we don't have customs officers at the border when the goods pass," said Niklas Delin, a group manager at Swedish Customs. He described a scenario where his team, due to insufficient numbers, had to let a lane go unmonitored as a passenger ferry from Świnoujście, Poland, approached the port. This highlights the daily struggle to manage incoming traffic with limited resources. Stefan Granath, deputy division manager at Swedish Customs, explained that the agency prioritizes based on perceived threat levels. "It is not judged to be the port with the highest threat level, and therefore Ystad is sometimes bypassed," he stated, indicating that resources are instead focused on ports like Helsingborg and Trelleborg. This prioritization strategy, however, leaves Ystad vulnerable despite its documented role in amphetamine smuggling. In total, approximately 175 kilograms of amphetamines were seized in Sweden during the first half of 2026. Of this, nearly 68.6 kilograms were intercepted at Ystad port. While the government allocated an additional 100 million SEK in its spring budget, allowing for the hiring of 24 more customs officers in the southern region, Granath stressed that this is a short-term fix. "In the long term, we need to grow for several years in a row. This was a one-time investment," he said, underscoring the need for sustained growth in staffing to effectively combat smuggling.

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The biggest problem is that we don't have customs officers at the border when the goods pass.