A new trend is being recorded in the Scandinavian “gangster world”. Swedish teenage gang members are sent on contracts to Denmark to carry out illegal ‘projects’.

Why? Shootings in the Norebro district of Copenhagen. A man was shot in the leg in Kolding, 80 kilometers from the German border. One Monday morning, a young man was shot in a jewelry store. A grenade exploded in a booth. All this happened recently, within one week, in Denmark. The alleged perpetrators in all cases are Swedish teenagers, some as young as 16. Denmark’s Minister of Justice Peter Hummelgaard called the young Swedes “child soldiers” who are “recruited” by Danish criminals. He recently had a telephone conversation with his Swedish counterpart on the matter.

Following the latest incidents of violence from Sweden, Denmark has increased border controls with Sweden and sent police officers to the neighboring country. The Danish Attorney General warned of “Swedish conditions” in Denmark in a recent interview with the DR network. Indeed, gangs have been active in Sweden for decades, in which the perpetrators and victims are increasingly minors, some as young as 14.

From youth crime to organized crime

According to criminologist Mane Gerrel from Malmö University in Sweden, many Swedish gangs have their bases in deprived areas, with a large number of residents with an immigrant background. “In the beginning, there was talk of juvenile delinquency. Later these young people grew up and strategically started to build strong criminal networks,” the Swedish expert told the German news agency dpa. Within a decade, Sweden thus acquired a very serious problem of violence.

Now Danish gangsters turn to their Swedish “colleagues” for help. For the Swedish criminologist, this is not a new phenomenon. The new element is the procedure followed. In the old days, even in Denmark, it was a case of clashes between rival criminal groups. The new element is that gangsters from Denmark are “buying services” from Swedish gangsters.

The “Swedish Model”

As Gorrell explains, in Sweden a “business model” has developed, according to which criminals come together to carry out “projects”. There is even a “project manager”, who says: “we’re going to put a bomb here” or “we’re going to shoot him”. Then the execution of the “project” is organized, usually with two key persons. One organizes the procedures e.g. finds pistols and the other leads the executioners to the crime scene. When the “project” is over, the group disbands. This model has been exported by Swedish criminal organizations to Denmark.

As for the recruitment of teenagers, the reason is simple according to Gerel: “they are cheap and expendable”. They have no value to the bosses, they don’t care if the young people are arrested. On the other hand, most young people who join gangs do so for the money, ‘status’ and a sense of belonging.

Why Danes prefer Swedish gangsters

Sociologist Aydin Soey reports that there are not many young “soldiers”, as they are called, who are involved in criminal organizations in Denmark. Crime among young people in Denmark is reaching the lowest historical records and this is because already since 2000 preventive measures have been taken, through the support of many young people in their school tasks, vocational guidance and also through volunteering in community benefit groups. “They try to integrate young people into healthy social groups, so that they do not need the recognition of marginal groups and do not seek to join criminal organizations,” explains the expert to dpa.

In Denmark there is also an “unwritten rule” among gangs: not to recruit children for serious crimes. That’s why they turn to Sweden. At the same time, the fact that they are turning to Sweden shows that the gang environment in Denmark has also become more violent.

At the same time, Sweden has pledged to do more against criminal groups that recruit young people. “Sweden needs to do more to prevent children from entering this world. The same should be done by the authorities in Denmark,” says Gerel. For him, the cooperation of the competent authorities in the two countries is important. This, at least, has already been announced by the Ministers of Justice of Denmark and Sweden, and their meeting is expected in Copenhagen.

Editor: Dimitra Kyranoudis