Police: Only One Dominant Gang Remains in Sweden
Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Swedish police report that only one dominant criminal network, Foxtrot, remains active and driving violence in the country.
- Previously, three major networksโDalen, Foxtrot, and the splinter group Rumbaโdominated the violent crime landscape.
- Arrests of key figures in Dalen and Rumba have significantly weakened their capabilities, leading police to believe Foxtrot now dictates the national level of gang violence.
The landscape of organized crime in Sweden has undergone a dramatic shift, according to the latest assessments from the Swedish police. For years, the nation grappled with the violence fueled by three dominant criminal networks: Dalen, Foxtrot, and the Rumba splinter group. Their intense rivalries and conflicts have been directly linked to a disturbing wave of fatal incidents across the country, often drawing in other gangs through shifting alliances.
Vi har fรถrsvagat fรถrmรฅgan hos alla tre nรคtverken, men framfรถr allt hos tvรฅ av dem.
However, recent years have seen a concerted effort by law enforcement, resulting in significant arrests that have reshaped the power dynamics. The apprehension of Rumba leader Ismail Abdo in Turkey and Dalen leader Mikael Ahlstrรถm Tenezos in Mexico have critically undermined these two networks. Police now no longer consider Dalen and Rumba as having the capacity to influence national-level gang violence, a development seen as a contributing factor to the declining homicide rates.
Despite these successes, the criminal element has not disappeared. Individuals previously associated with Dalen and Rumba continue their illicit activities, albeit in new contexts and environments. The primary driver of ongoing violence, according to the police, is now the Foxtrot network. Even with several high-ranking Foxtrot members arrested abroad, the network is believed to continue coordinating violence and engaging in a full spectrum of criminal activities, including digitally coordinated acts.
De som var kopplade till de hรคr gรคngen fortsรคtter att vara kriminella, fast i nya sammanhang och miljรถer. De finns fortfarande kvar dรคr ute.
This continued dominance of Foxtrot is a cause for concern, especially as the network is suspected of involvement in several high-profile violent incidents earlier this year. The police maintain a clear picture of the network's structure, including those around its leader Rawa Majid. The presence of Swedish nationals on Europe's most-wanted lists, specifically linked to Foxtrot and accused of recruiting young individuals into gang crime, underscores the transnational nature of the threat and the ongoing challenge Sweden faces in combating organized crime.
De รคgnar sig รฅt hela paletten av brott. De koordinerar ocksรฅ vรฅld pรฅ den digitala arenan รคven utan att vara en del av sjรคlva grundkonflikterna. Man sรคljer vรฅldsstrukturen.
Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.