When the Rave Squad write up their operations they speak of "rave rats" and "nigger kids".

This is something their boss does not want the public to see.

After every shift the Rave Squads groups write their reports, intended for internal use.

But the material is public property and Nojesguiden asked for the reports of one month to get a clearer picture of the Squads work.

As expected, parts of the text had been deleted. The police have the right to do this with material that can effect an ongoing investigation, though even this material becomes public after prosecutions have been made.

[continues 1127 words]

The police super commando against drug abuse by young people has received a new mandate. But do young people have respect for the Rave Squad and are they doing a good job?

The police station in Nacka, Sweden, at the beginning of January 1997: The chief of the Rave Squad Rickard Johansson turns off his mobile phone, hangs it in his belt and sits down behind his desk. He reads aloud from a paper: "998 reports have been made of crimes against the narcotics laws. The Squad has taken 658 urine and blood tests. A total of 1329 persons have been apprehended."

[continues 4640 words]

Swedish drug policy debators should be careful when they brag. A strict narcotics policy does not necessarily lead to less drug abuse, says Leif Lenke - lecturer in criminology.

Mass unemployment and geographical location at least equally important in explaining why some European countries have worse narcotics problems than others. This conclusion has been reached by criminologists Leif Lenke and Borje Olsson. Commisioned by the Council of Europe, they have made a study of the relationship between prevalence of narcotics and narcotics policy in Europe.

[continues 407 words]

Malmo (TT) The new, extra potent hasch drug 'Skunk Weed' is feared to produce the same type of permanent brain damage as solvents.

The Warning was delivered Tuesday at a narcotics conference in Malmo.

It was Thomas Lundquist, psychologist at a Drug Information Center in Lund, who told about the worriesome conclusions drawn from careful studies of 'Skunk Weed', as reported in the media of southern Sweden.

'Skunk Weed' is an improved cultivar of cannabis. Earlier it was believed that it contained unusual large amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, the substance that produces intoxication from smoking hasch.

[continues 154 words]

(There is one strange country on our planet. A country whose government likes to exercise control. Since 1993 the legislature has given its police force the right to control its citizens even under the skin, to check if everything is OK with their internal fluids. A country where the government does not only have the right to do so, but is actually doing it. That country is Sweden.)

Sweden has a very special police force, there is nothing quite like it in the rest of the world: The Rave Commission. A group of 18 young motivated police officers whose duty is not to fight crime but a culture - the rave culture - a youth movement that is ever more marginalized. This story is about the only culture police in the western world. An unique phenomena.

[continues 4080 words]

Svea hovratt (Swedish circuit court) is giving green light for dried cubensis, a mushroom that compares with LSD, in a ruling. Overdose may cause life-threatening conditions. The mushroom contains narcotics. Even so the law allows for use and sales.

Kevin, 27, mushroom user escapes indictment for narcotics crimes. He was apprehended during a police raid in December last year for narcotics violation. He had 15 bags of dried cubensis mushrooms, 162 pamphlets with directions and price list together with 850 Skr. ($100).

[continues 256 words]

Gothenburg. A 24 year old man has been charged as a suspected smuggler of record amounts of khat, an amphetamine-like narcotic substance.

Totally it might be as much as 1,2 metric tons, writes Metro Gothenburg.

Charged with serious merchandise smuggling and major narcotics violations is unusual when it comes to khat.

"One reason is because of the large amount, that we have in this case", says prosecutor Dan Segge.

"I am not familiar with any other case of this magnitude"

[continues 186 words]

"I am a Victim of passive smoking". That is how Ross Rebagliati defends himself.

This is rejected by the Japanese police who are considering serious actions.

Japanese police will question Ross Rebagliati after he got caught in a drugtest for using marijuana.

If the 26 year old is found guilty of possession he faces a five years prison sentence.

- ---- (original article in Swedish:)

"Jag är ett offer för passiv rökning". Så försvarar sig Ross Rebagliati.

[continues 69 words]

By Barry James International Herald Tribune Oct 24, 1997

BRUSSELSThe European Court of Justice on Thursday upheld Sweden's state monopoly on the sale of alcohol accepting the argument that it was justified on publichealth grounds but warning that aspects of it were an impediment to free trade within the European Union.

The ruling also has implications in Finland, an EU member, and Norway. All three Nordic countries operate similar monopolies. They use part of their income for antialcohol publicity and treatment.

[continues 286 words]

COPENHAGEN, Sept 26 (Reuter) Rival Nordic motorcycle gangs may have promised to end a bloody fouryear feud but the public expressed fears on Friday that the bikers would now have more time for organised crime.

Newspapers and politicians in Denmark, Norway and Sweden urged police to keep a close eye on the Hells Angels and Bandidos after gang leaders said they had ordered members to end a war that has killed 10 people.

``That the bikers have now apparently decided to keep the peace means only one thing: Peace with each other,'' the Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet wrote in an editorial.

[continues 431 words]

I'M WRITING in response to the July 12 letter of John E Miller, national secretary of the Australian Christian Coalition. Mr Miller's letter implied that because Sweden trialled a "permissive approach to illicit drug use", the country became the "highest drugusing nation in Europe" then, by reversing the permissive drug policy, became the country with the lowest drug use in Europe.

I believe the "permissive approach" he referred to was a twoyear trial begun in April 1965. In that trial health authorities allowed some doctors to prescribe opiates and stimulants to just over 200 clients. The trial was flawed and any conclusions drawn from it of dubious value.

[continues 214 words]