Danish Criminal Groups Recruiting Swedish Youth for Crimes
Copenhagen, Denmark – August 8, 2024 – Danish criminal groups have recruited young people from Sweden to commit crimes in Danish territory in at least 25 cases over the past four months, according to the Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard.
Three shootings – two in Copenhagen and one in Kolding – have been linked to these Swedish youths in the past two weeks. In response, Hummelgaard announced new measures to tackle the issue.
“Criminal groups in Denmark have hired Swedish soldiers – that’s what I call them – to carry out criminal activities,” the minister told Danish broadcaster DR.
The minister expressed concern about the situation, stating, “It is very concerning that this could happen and very concerning that it is happening in Denmark now.”
Hummelgaard mentioned a specific gang, the LTF, which he believes is responsible for recruiting the Swedish youth. The LTF has been banned twice previously but continues to operate.
Two Swedish nationals, aged 17 and 16, were recently placed in pre-trial detention after shootings in Kolding and Copenhagen, respectively. The police believe these youths were recruited on social media.
The minister also called for increased resources for the police to improve their ability to gather and analyze intelligence, and to expand their digital tools for facial recognition.
Hummelgaard emphasized that existing counterterrorism measures are sufficient to prevent a major terrorist attack in Denmark, ruling out border controls with Sweden as an ineffective measure.