STOCKHOLM: Police from several European countries detained three Swedish nationals in Spain on Wednesday on suspicion they recruited minors to commit crimes, including attempted murder, authorities said.
The Swedes, who were detained in Alicante during an operation involving Swedish, Danish and Spanish forces as well as Europol and Eurojust, are suspected of attempted murder and weapons offences, among other crimes, Sweden's Prosecution Authority said.
They are accused of recruiting youths "to participate in serious violent acts" that took place in the spring and summer of 2024 in Denmark and Sweden, prosecutors said.
The three suspects ran an online "criminal cell" and posted "ads offering contract killings" on an online channel "targeting vulnerable youth as young as 13 to 14 years old", Europol said.
"The online channel has now been closed, and investigators are working to identify other individuals involved in this network," it said.
The agency provided digital evidence and coordinated intelligence that helped locate the ring's administrator in Spain.
"While the recruitment of minors into serious organised crime and terrorism is not new, in recent years it has evolved into a deliberate tactic by criminal networks to evade detection, arrest or prosecution," Europol said.
Sweden has struggled to rein in a surge in gang shootings and bombings in recent years, often carried out by minors recruited via encrypted messaging services.
In 2023, the Nordic country of 10.5 million people experienced a historic wave of violence linked to score-settling between gangs, with 53 deaths in 363 shootings, according to police.
Violence linked to Swedish gangs has recently been reported in Norway and Denmark.
