Swedish gangs are recruiting children as young as 11 to become hitmen via social media, offering them money and status. Police investigations have uncovered alarming exchanges and a rise in young people’s involvement in murders.
These children, often vulnerable and seeking a sense of belonging, are being exploited by gangs operating via encrypted messaging apps, inciting violence.
“Bro, I can’t wait for my first kill,” an 11-year-old boy wrote on Instagram in the Swedish city of Orebro, where gangs on chat apps recruit children to become hitmen.
“Stay motivated, they will come,” his 19-year-old contact replied.
He offered the child 150,000 kronor ($13,680) to carry out the killing, as well as clothing and transport to the crime scene, according to a police investigation into an exchange of offers last year in the western province of Varmland, seen by AFP.
In this case, four men aged 18 to 20 are accused of recruiting four minors aged 11 to 17 to work in a criminal group. All were arrested before the crimes were committed.
This incident is not unique. Swedish law enforcement has reported soaring numbers of minors involved in gang-related criminal activities, fueled by rampant turf wars and disputes over drug territories. The brutal reality is underscored by grim statistics: 53 people were victims of gun violence last year, many occurring in public spaces and claiming innocent lives.
Gang operations appear highly organized, employing methods akin to those seen in corporate business. Johan Olsson, head of the Swedish police’s National Operations Department, described gangs as functioning like job markets, where assignments are shared through encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram and Snapchat, and these missions are increasingly being taken up by minors—ages unrestrained by criminal prosecution laws.
The preliminary report contains numerous videos that the young men sent to each other in which they pose with weapons, some bare-chested or wearing hooded masks.
Photo: Xinhua
