Gangs Train Teenagers as Hitmen Using Video Game Tactics

Teenagers are being recruited by organized crime groups to carry out violent acts, a practice described by Europol as 'Violence as a Service' (VaaS).

Instead of maintaining their own killers, criminal organizations now find and hire young people, primarily through social media and messaging apps. These recruits receive instructions in stages, with the process resembling video game mechanics. This model makes young people easily replaceable for the gangs.

Europol's task force OTF GRIMM, comprising 11 European countries, is investigating this trend. Experts like Andy Kraag, head of Europol's Serious and Organized Crime Centre, call it a "calculated way of ordering murders using particularly vulnerable young people."

The case of 18-year-old Atilla Azimov in Sweden illustrates this. He was convicted of murdering a 20-year-old student, Murad Abdelkader, in Stockholm. Police believe Azimov mistakenly targeted Abdelkader while acting on behalf of the Foxtrot Network, a major criminal organization in Sweden. The gang is linked to approximately 35 killings and numerous attacks in Europe since 2022.

Another case involves Norwegian teenager Johannes Natland, who was found guilty in a British court of conspiracy to murder. Natland, struggling with drug addiction and mental health issues, was recruited through a contact in a care home. He was offered approximately $270,000 Norwegian kroner for the hit in the UK. He was guided step-by-step via the Signal app by individuals using aliases, one of whom is believed to be a close associate of the Foxtrot leader. The target of the planned assassination remains unknown.

“

It is a calculated way of ordering murders using particularly vulnerable young people.