During the summer, not only the capital city has been affected by dangerous conflicts between criminal gangs. Aalborg, a city in Denmark, has also been the scene of a violent gang war, according to a new conflict assessment released by the police on August 12. The report indicates that two immigrant gangs, GT and A12, are currently embroiled in a violent conflict.
The North Jutland Police (Nordjyllands Politi) confirm that these groups have experienced a series of violent confrontations recently. GT, in particular, has been involved in several serious incidents that have also included other groups. “In the last three years, we have seen a number of assaults, stabbings, and a few shootings,” states Deputy Police Inspector Niels Kronborg. An isolated shooting incident between GT and A12 has also been recorded. Kronborg assesses that the conflict primarily stems from drug trafficking involving substances such as cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamine. However, the current acts of violence are mainly driven by revenge for previous assaults.
GT primarily consists of young men from the Somali community in Aalborg, whereas A12 also has members of Somali descent along with individuals from other nationalities. Nonetheless, the conflict in Aalborg is not considered to be as severe as the ongoing conflict in Copenhagen between the gang Loyal to Familia and a Swedish gang leader known as ‘Jordbærret’ (Strawberry). “I don’t think we are at that level,” Kronborg asserts.
He emphasizes that the gangs often clash when they encounter each other in the city. “They primarily target thighs and buttocks, which is not necessarily fatal, but it does cause serious injuries,” he explains. There have, however, been some incidents where the violence has almost been fatal.
A recent incident, likely a result of this conflict, occurred on Thursday and resulted in a traffic accident where five individuals were arrested. B.T., a Danish newspaper, obtained a video showing several individuals wielding long knives, which the police now associate with the incident in question.