Stockholm, Sweden – In a bid to curb the expansion of violent gang crime originating from Sweden, Nordic countries are stepping up police cooperation and establishing a new joint operations hub in Stockholm, Swedish authorities announced on Wednesday.
The decision comes amid rising concerns over the impact of Swedish gang violence on neighboring countries. This year, over half of the 10 Swedes charged in Denmark for attempted murder or weapons possession have been minors, sparking alarm and severe criticism from Danish officials.
Swedish Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer revealed that Sweden and Denmark will each deploy police officers to the other country. This move aims to enhance real-time information sharing, allowing both nations to identify and intervene with at-risk youths before they become involved in criminal networks.
“We are establishing this cooperation to better identify which children and young people are at risk and to prevent them from being drawn into these dangerous networks,” Strommer told Reuters.
In addition to the bilateral cooperation, a Nordic police hub will be set up in Stockholm, featuring officers from Finland, Norway, and Denmark. While Norwegian and Finnish officers are already operational, Danish officers are expected to join in the coming weeks.
Swedish gangs have increasingly been implicated in violent attacks orchestrated by Danish gangs. Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard reported 25 such instances since April, condemning Sweden’s “sick” culture of violence and describing the involvement of Swedish gangs as using “child soldiers.”
Hummelgaard attributed the rise in gang violence to Sweden’s historical immigration policies and poor integration practices. “Not only Denmark but large parts of the Nordics are suffering from the consequences of Sweden’s failed immigration and legal policies,” Hummelgaard stated.
Sweden, which has one of the highest per-capita rates of gun violence in the European Union, has seen a marked increase in shootings in recent years. In 2023, there were 55 fatal shootings in Sweden, compared to just six in the other three Nordic countries combined.
The country’s gang violence has prompted concerns about the use of vulnerable teenagers in criminal activities. Swedish police report that some gangs have recruited troubled youths as young as 14 for contract killings in exchange for material rewards.
In response to these challenges, Norway has observed an increase in Swedish criminal networks across the country, drawn by higher drug prices and less competition. The EU’s open borders have facilitated the movement of criminals, leading Denmark to tighten border controls and increase surveillance of passengers arriving from Sweden.
The Swedish government, which came to power in 2022 on a platform of law and order and reduced immigration, faces mounting pressure to address the escalating gang violence. Sweden has admitted over two million immigrants since the start of the millennium, with about 20% of the population born abroad.
As the new Nordic hub begins its operations, the regional effort seeks to address the cross-border impacts of Sweden’s gang crime crisis and restore safety throughout the Nordic region.
