Violence between criminal gangs escalated in Sweden over the weekend. At the beginning of the year, 27 acts of violence have already occurred.
11:58•Updated 12:00
In Sweden, the violence between criminal gangs that has been going on for a decade has recently spread away from problem neighborhoods. They now also use firearms and explosives.
Editor of Swedish Radio’s Finnish edition Soili Huokuna emphasizes that in Sweden it is no longer about street gangs, but about international drug crime, which is managed from outside Sweden’s borders. At the moment, there is a fight for the supremacy of Sundsvall’s drug trade. However, the battle is taking place on the streets of Stockholm.
– The latest round of violence started with the murder that happened on Christmas Day in Stockholm’s Rinkeby. Since then, there have been 27 acts of violence, and that’s so much that you can really breathe a sigh of relief on a morning like this, when Swedish news headlines have something other than new shootings, says Huokuna in ‘s morning on Monday.
In Sweden, we are particularly concerned about the large number of minors involved in violence. During the latest wave of gang violence, half of all perpetrators and victims have been under the age of 18.
– By extorting and threatening, criminals force more and more young people to commit murder, says Huokuna.
The cycle of revenge fuels violence
Behind the violence is a cycle of revenge between criminal gangs, which fuels violence between gangs, says research doctor Markus Kaakinen from the Academy of Finland. With the twist, both the number of gangs and armed clashes increase.
Violence can start with a knife attack and lead to more and more serious weapons and acts. Sweden has seen a worsening cycle of violence, which has progressed to gun violence and even explosives.
– We also have to remember that the gang’s credibility and deterrence are a key part of the gang’s activities, especially when it comes to a fairly organized drug trade. Without fear, the gang loses its capital of violence, so it is in a way forced to respond to violence with violence, says Kaakinen.
A market for illegal weapons has also emerged in Sweden. Gangs use a lot of illegal weapons, says Kaakinen in the morning of .
See the discussions in ‘s morning: