Several of Spain’s postcard-perfect coastal towns are being transformed from popular tourist resorts into the chosen sites for horror executions in broad daylight. In recent years, Sweden has become a hotspot for gang violence, with one of the highest numbers of gun deaths in Europe. But now, the bloodshed has started to descend on the likes of the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca as hitmen as young as 15 are being flown in for deadly working holidays.
Gangsters from Nordic countries, as well as the UK and Turkey, are increasingly basing themselves on the Spanish southern coast, creating a volatile “criminal ecosystem”. It has been reported that these teenage hitmen are being sent in to catch crime bosses off guard on their holidays and carry out assassinations. In one case, a 15-year-old Swedish national living in Alicante “was ordering murderers like someone orders a pizza”, police said, luring others to do the same using aliases on messaging apps like Telegram and Signal. Marilo Valencia, spokesperson for the Reformist Police Union, said: “Many of the gangsters come here, some to work, others simply to enjoy themselves. “But when their enemies lower their guard, when they relax, the hitmen strike.”
Earlier this month, Hamza Karimi, 25, was shot dead in front of tourists in Marbella’s Puerto Banus. The Swedish “gangsta rap” artist, also known as Hamko, was outside a cafe when a suspected hitman walked up to him and pulled out a gun. The shooter, a 38-year-old Afghan-born Swede, ended up firing up to a dozen rounds. Mr Karimi was rushed to hospital but died of his injuries.
Police sources believe the killing may be linked to infighting between rival Swedish gangs now operating in Spain, who have brought their business models over from Stockholm.
Ms Valencia branded the gangster network a “ecosystem of crime”, warning that police resources are not keeping up with the growing activity, The Sun reported.
“The criminals know our situation,” she added. “They know we don’t clock off. We’re police officers 24 hours a day. But we need more manpower; the pressure never stops.”
“The hitmen don’t live here,” another investigator said. “They arrive, carry out the job, and disappear.”
Earlier this year, The Express revealed that there is now a shooting in Sweden every 28 hours and a bombing every three days, as politicians admitted they had “lost control”.
The new year began with 31 explosions and a murder involving a ‘foreign power’ and, as he addressed the nation in the wake of the carnage, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson admitted it was “obvious that [he had] no control over the wave of violence”.
In February, Sweden planned to rush through legislation allowing police to wiretap children under 15 by the autumn in an attempt to get a grip on the crisis.
Explosions in Stockholm have become so frequent that the city’s estate agents are listing “no bombings” in their “pro” columns when advertising properties for neighbourhoods that buyers might be unfamiliar with.
