Spanish seaside towns loved by Brits invaded by bloody Nordic gangs | World | News
Many of Spain’s postcard-perfect seaside towns are being transformed from popular tourist resorts into chosen sites for horror executions in broad daylight. In recent years, Sweden has become a hotspot for gang violence and has one of the highest rates of gun deaths in Europe. But now bloodshed has begun in places like the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, as 15-year-old hitmen fly here for deadly working holidays.
Gangsters from the UK and Türkiye, as well as the northern countries, are increasingly settling on Spain’s southern coast, creating a volatile “criminal ecosystem”. These young hitmen were reportedly sent to catch crime bosses off guard during their holidays and assassinate them. In one case, a 15-year-old Swedish citizen living in Alicante “gave orders to the killers like someone would order a pizza” and persuaded others to do the same by using pseudonyms on messaging apps such as Telegram and Signal, police said. Reformist Police Union spokesman Marilo Valencia said: “Most gangsters come here, some to work, some just for fun. “But when their enemies let their guard down, when they relax, the hitmen attack.”
Earlier this month, 25-year-old Hamza Karimi was shot dead in front of tourists in the Puerto Banus area of Marbella. The Swedish “gangsta rap” artist, also known as Hamko, was outside a cafe when a suspected shooter walked up to him and pulled out a gun. The 38-year-old Afghan-born Swedish shooter fired about a dozen shots. Mr. Karimi was taken to hospital but died from his injuries.
Police sources believe the murder may be linked to infighting between rival Swedish gangs now operating in Spain, who brought their business model from Stockholm.
Ms Valencia branded the gangster network a “criminal ecosystem” and warned police resources were failing to keep up with increased activity. Sun reported.
“Criminals know our situation,” he added. “They know we’re off-duty. 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 come, do the job, and disappear.”
Earlier this year, The Express reported that there was a shooting every 28 hours and a bombing every three days in Sweden; Politicians admitted that they “lost control”.
The new year started with 31 explosions and a murder involving a ‘foreign power’, and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, addressing the nation after the massacre, admitted it was “obviously”. [he had] “There is no control over the wave of violence.”
In February, Sweden planned to quickly pass legislation allowing police to tap the phones of children under 15 by the autumn in a bid to contain the crisis.
Explosions have become so frequent in Stockholm that the city’s real estate agents list “no bombings” in their “professional” columns when advertising properties for neighborhoods that buyers may not be familiar with.
