In Copenhagen, the police are increasingly observing that young boys under the age of 18 are being recruited by gangs to engage in criminal activities. Riad Tolba, the head of SSP (Social Security and Promotion) in Copenhagen, describes an alarming development where previously established moral boundaries are being crossed. “There used to be an unwritten rule that one did not recruit children under 18 years old, but we are now experiencing that this rule no longer applies,” he stated.
One of the groups utilizing very young gang members is the banned gang Loyal to Familia (LTF). Their strategy is primarily due to many of the more experienced members being imprisoned. The youth are often used for risky tasks, and gangs specifically target socially vulnerable young individuals.
This recruitment method is reminiscent of strategies observed in Sweden, where gangs have exploited children and teenagers under 18 for serious crimes such as murder for several years. One of the reasons for this is the so-called “youth discount,” which refers to lighter sentences for minors. Unfortunately, gang-related crime from Sweden has spread to Denmark. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard previously revealed that at least 25 incidents in Denmark involve young Swedish individuals, with several of the suspects being under 18 years old.
Two Swedish nationals, a man and a woman aged 24, were arrested in connection with an explosion at Hans Knudsens Plads. Torben Svarrer from the National Special Crime Unit (NSK) has stated to DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) that the police are increasingly seeing young Swedes under the age of 18 hired for contract killings in Denmark.
A conflict assessment by police gang experts indicates an ongoing armed and violent conflict between LTF and an unknown Swedish-Danish group. This conflict has resulted in violent actions involving firearms and explosives from both sides. Despite a ban on LTF since 2018, Copenhagen Police have been forced to establish search zones to curb the unrest.
Residents of Nørrebro are currently experiencing a significant police presence. Both regular police cars and motorcycle officers, as well as heavily armed police units with machine guns, are visible in dark vans.