Residents of Bräcke, Sweden, are alarmed as drugs are being delivered to their mailboxes, highlighting issues of social dumping and increasing drug problems in the area. The local police face challenges in investigating these crimes, while community leaders call for action against the forced relocation of vulnerable individuals to the town.
Ecstasy Delivered by Mail: A Growing Concern in Bräcke
Ecstasy Delivered by Mail: A Growing Concern in Bräcke
Residents in the small town of Bräcke are receiving drugs in their mailboxes. Locals discuss "social dumping"—where other municipalities encourage vulnerable individuals to move there, leading to an increase in drug activity.
It was during one of the first vacation days in July when preschool teacher Kristin Svensson retrieved a padded envelope with her name from the mailbox.
"I thought I had ordered something I couldn't remember, so I opened the envelope. It contained a small package with a bag labeled 'MDMA,' and I realized it was drugs," she says.
MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, is a central nervous system stimulant, illegal to possess and use.
"Just two weeks earlier, I had spoken with an acquaintance living in the same area, who told me they had received drug shipments, so I understood what it was about," says Kristin.
"I panicked a bit; it felt very unpleasant."
She contacted the police, who came and took the envelope with the drugs.
Just a week later, it happened again. When Kristin, who often helps her father living on the same street with his mail, opened his mailbox, she discovered a similar envelope. It turned out to contain suspected drugs of the same kind.
"You can't know how long this has been going on. Right now, I'm on vacation and home more, otherwise, I'm at work all day and can't keep an eye on the mailboxes," says Kristin.
Mysterious Mailbox on the Facade
Maria Könberg, a community police officer in Östersund, says these types of crimes are difficult to investigate.
"It's about people hoping to raid the mailboxes but failing. Tracing who actually placed the order is very difficult."
The investigations into the two suspected crimes have been closed.
A couple living in the same area in Bräcke also found envelopes containing drugs in their mailbox on two occasions, addressed to them. One day, they also discovered a strange mailbox mounted on their facade, with a fictitious name, suspected to be for drug deliveries.
"I'm angry and shocked. Addicts are using our names and addresses to get drug deliveries," says the woman.
The mailbox was removed, and the police seized the drugs, but no investigation was initiated.
Police: "It's Everywhere"
Maria Könberg from the police says that drug problems in the municipality have increased.
She states that the police have good resources for drug surveillance in Bräcke. In February this year, a man from Bräcke was sentenced to three years in prison for serious drug offenses after hiding almost a kilo of amphetamines in a drainpipe. The police had him under surveillance and were able to arrest him.
Bräcke municipality stands out regarding drug residues in wastewater in Jämtland County, with notable levels of amphetamines and tramadol found in a recent 2024 measurement.
"Drugs are everywhere, not just in cities but also in rural areas. Bräcke is no exception," says Maria Könberg.
Dilapidated Houses Become Targets for Social Dumping
When Expressen speaks with residents in Bräcke, so-called social dumping is highlighted as a problem—a term used when other municipalities actively encourage socially vulnerable people to move to smaller towns where there are vacant rental apartments, often in rundown properties.
This can happen without the receiving municipality's knowledge, and once the move is completed, welfare support and other expenses become the responsibility of the new home municipality.
"We have realized that the tranquility of the countryside is just an illusion. We have lived here all our adult lives and seen the community change," says a woman living in Bräcke.
All municipalities should take care of their own problems instead of acting like this.
Richard Nilsson, a municipal councilor in Bräcke, confirms that social dumping is common in the municipality.
"It is, of course, an economic concern, but the biggest issue in this matter is the people who are more or less forcibly relocated here. Those who only get a train ticket instead of help from their home municipality. All municipalities should take care of their own problems instead of acting like this."
In Bräcke, where many homes are vacant, they have demolished worn-out rental properties. The hope is that this reduction in housing will make it easier for private landlords to rent out their apartments, resulting in fewer homes being subject to social dumping, says Richard Nilsson.
Richard Nilsson emphasizes, however, that Bräcke is a safe and scenic place where people fundamentally enjoy living.
"In safety surveys, we rank very well. We don't have major problems today, but they exist, and if they continue, it could become very difficult. Part of this is to stop social dumping. In Bräcke, we also see an increase in people coming directly from prison. We don't really know why, but it's a growing group."