Justitsminister Peter Hummelgaard (Social Democrats) has announced plans to convene a meeting with police to discuss a troubling trend where Swedish citizens are being hired to commit serious crimes in Denmark. This meeting comes in the wake of several incidents involving young Swedes suspected of attempted murder and possession of firearms.

Hummelgaard has expressed serious concern regarding recent events and the reports from law enforcement. “It is completely unacceptable for Swedish citizens or individuals residing in Sweden to participate in serious criminal activities in Denmark,” stated the minister. He also highlighted the strong collaboration with Swedish authorities to address the issue.

The Justice Minister made it clear that Denmark should not end up with “Swedish conditions,” referring to perceived deteriorating safety and increasing criminality that have been associated with crime trends in Sweden. He emphasized the gang-related initiatives that have already been implemented to tackle the gang problem domestically. Nevertheless, he is open to exploring new measures and tools in the fight against crime.

“I will speak with the National Police Commissioner and the head of the National Unit for Special Crimes (NSK) as soon as possible to assess whether the police need more tools,” Hummelgaard stated.

On Wednesday evening, a 16-year-old Swedish boy and two other persons were arrested following a shooting at Blågårds Plads in Copenhagen. The boy is now being held in custody at a secure psychiatric facility. Additionally, a 17-year-old Swedish boy and a 37-year-old woman were arrested in Kolding in connection with another shooting incident where a man was shot in the leg.

Police Inspector Torben Svarrer from NSK has pointed out that young Swedes are being recruited by Danish criminals to cross the Øresund Strait (the waterway separating Denmark and Sweden) and commit crimes in Denmark. David Sausdal, a criminologist and lecturer at Lund University, describes this phenomenon as mercenaries being digitally recruited via social media.

“Social media is actively used both to promote the subculture and to recruit people for committing criminal acts,” Sausdal explains, noting the significant challenge this digitalization poses for law enforcement. He emphasizes that gangs are now operating with freelance members who are hired online, as opposed to the traditional gang members who were previously listed in gang registries.