Copenhagen police are being reinforced over gang war
Three Swedish teenagers have been arrested in Denmark for allegedly planning a murder. Danish investigators are concerned that a gang war could escalate and have reinforced police presence in the capital.
Due to a suspected gang war in Copenhagen, police in the Danish capital are receiving reinforcements from surrounding districts. This was reported by the news agency Ritzau. Investigators had previously designated two zones in the city where increased controls will be carried out in the coming weeks.
The police assume that there is a violent conflict between two criminal groups, one of which is based in the city district of Indre Nørrebro, and the other is controlled from abroad, it was stated in a message. In several districts, increased police presence is to prevent further crimes. Investigators fear a spillover of violence from Sweden, which has been plagued by brutal conflicts between members of rival drug dealers for years.
"It has led to several violent incidents," the message from the Copenhagen police continued. Investigators believe that the fatal shots fired at a 43-year-old in the city on Thursday are connected to the dispute. "We cannot and will not accept or tolerate gang violence in Copenhagen, and therefore we are doing everything we can to prevent similar incidents," said police chief Søren Thomassen.
Is the gang war spilling over from Sweden?
In Denmark, there have been several incidents recently where young suspects from Sweden are alleged to have attempted murders in Denmark. Alone between Wednesday last week and Monday this week, three Swedish teenagers are said to have attempted to shoot people in Denmark, according to the news agency Ritzau.
Two of the cases were in Copenhagen, one in the city of Kolding, about 80 kilometers from the German border. All three suspects were aged 16 and 17 and were taken into custody. Furthermore, the Danish police confirmed the extradition of a man and a woman who were arrested by Swedish security forces at the border in connection with an explosion in Copenhagen. They were to be brought before the judge on Saturday.
The Danish authorities are closely monitoring the situation, as they believe that the escalating gang war in Denmark might be influenced by the ongoing violent conflicts in Sweden. The Commission, which is responsible for international cooperation in criminal matters, has been contacted to share intelligence and collaborate in preventive measures.
Given the escalating gang war in Denmark and the perceived influence from Sweden, the Danish government has requested assistance from The Commission to strengthen their efforts in combating organized crime and preventing further violence.
