Police and customs officials in Iceland recently acknowledged an increase in organised crime in the country. According to one local newspaper, officials have come to believe that stolen goods are being transported outside the country.

It is increasingly clear that electronic equipment, such as laptops, digital cameras and iPods, and construction tools are being stolen and sold on the European market. One newspaper reported that tools which had been marked as property of contractors in Iceland such as ÍSTAK, were identified in markets in Poland and other Eastern European countries.

“International crime is setting down roots in this country and we should not be afraid to talk about it,” said Brynjar Níelsson, an advocate of the Supreme Court in Iceland.

Stefán Eiríksson, chief of police in the capital area, acknowledged that Iceland lacked the resources to seriously tackle organised crime in the same capacity as police forces in neighbouring countries.

Meanwhile customs officials are attempting a new strategy to try and stop the flow of stolen goods out of the country. The lack of any clear surveillance strategy in the past has only helped the smugglers.