The US has imposed sanctions on the Foxtrot Network, a notorious Swedish criminal gang led by Kurdish-Swedish fugitive Rawa Majid, commonly known as “The Kurdish Fox”.
According to US Treasury Department allegations, besides being an infamous drug dealing gang, Foxtrot planned and orchestrated an attack on Israel’s Stockholm embassy in January 2024, allegedly acting on behalf of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS).
“The Treasury Department and the US government, along with international partners, will continue to hold accountable those who enable Iran’s rogue and destabilizing agenda,” US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement on March 12.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Foxtrot network as a notorious criminal gang based in Sweden and a prominent player in the drugs trade in the region.
After the US announcement, Swedish justice inister Gunnar Strömmer told national broadcaster SVT: “From the Swedish side, we take a positive view of the steps taken by the United States, which mean that influential actors in the networks can be disrupted and prevented from continuing their criminal activities.
“The US decision to impose sanctions on a leading Swedish actor can hopefully contribute to further strengthening the operational work that the authorities are conducting,” he concluded.
Foxtrot has been held responsible for a surge in violence across Northern Europe, including shootings, contract killings and bombings, often executed by teenagers recruited as hitmen.
After over 30 explosions and several fatal shootings in the first month of the year, the Swedish government admitted the country was suffering from a new wave of violence over which it had no control. https://t.co/m0bclCg2ks
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) January 30, 2025
The group was suspected of killing a rival gang leader’s mother and innocent bystanders have been caught in the crossfire of shootings as well.
Foxtrot has dominated the region’s drugs and weapons trade, trafficking narcotics and arms with a reach extending into multiple European countries.
Majid, born in Iran and raised in Sweden, has evaded capture since 2020, reportedly directing operations from Turkey after securing citizenship there through investments.
The US claimed he had collaborated directly with the MOIS, a sanctioned entity, to target Israeli and Jewish interests.
An attack on the Stockholm embassy — classified as a terrorist act where Swedish authorities found a “dangerous object” —fitted a pattern of Iran allegedly leveraging criminal proxies for deniable operations.
Sweden’s security police (SAPO) has previously issued warnings that Iranian operatives were actively seeking to recruit members of Swedish criminal gangs for executing targeted attacks.
Reports from Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations (Mossad), cited by Swedish media, suggested Majid was coerced into co-operation after an arrest in Iran, facing jail unless he complied.
The US sanctions mean all property and interests in property in the US belonging to the sanctioned entities will be blocked. They also include travel restrictions for those who are subject to them.
Geopolitically, experts said they signalled a broader “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran under the Trump administration.
COMMENT: From Taylor Swift dance classes to Christmas markets or a simple stroll in a southern Austrian village — these once carefree activities are now cause for concern thanks to mass migration, writes @Raphfel. https://t.co/UVO76g3vKD
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) February 18, 2025
