Swedish Police to Assist Denmark in Gang Prevention

In a groundbreaking initiative, Swedish police will be stationed in Denmark to prevent children and young people from Sweden from traveling to Copenhagen to engage in violent crime on behalf of Danish gangs. Starting next week, officers from southern Sweden will be permanently based in Copenhagen, while Danish officers have already integrated into the Swedish operation room in Malmö. This unprecedented collaboration follows a surge in serious incidents, including deadly shootings and the use of weapons like hand grenades, involving suspects from Sweden. Authorities have reported alarming trends, with children as young as 12 being recruited by Danish gangs via social media to cross the Øresund bridge by car or public transport to commit crimes. In response to the escalating violence, border checks on trains between Malmö and Copenhagen have intensified, and special policing zones have been established in Copenhagen, allowing officers to conduct random checks without prior suspicion. Copenhagen police attribute the violence to an ongoing conflict between two criminal groups in Denmark. While Sweden has faced issues with gang-related violence for years, the recent recruitment of young Swedes to commit crimes in Denmark marks a troubling new development. Stefan Sintéus, the commanding officer for serious organized crime in southern Sweden, emphasized that this is not a conflict between gangs in both countries but rather a situation where Danish gangs are exploiting young individuals from Sweden. Danish police inspector Torben Svarrer confirmed the trend, noting several cases where young Swedish citizens have traveled to Denmark to commit dangerous crimes. The collaboration between Swedish and Danish forces aims to enhance information sharing and expedite investigations into these cross-border criminal activities.