Bombs, Glocks, Kalashnikovs: Weapons from the Balkans in the Hands of Swedish Gangs

(Patria) - Swedish brutal street gangs have in recent years turned many suburbs of Sweden's major cities into war zones.

The capital Stockholm has not been spared either, in whose suburbs attacks and shootings often occur on a daily basis.

As German media report, the gangs are spreading their influence beyond the country's borders through digital technology, which should also concern German authorities.

When it comes specifically to illegal weapons such as Glock pistols and Kalashnikovs, they mostly procure them from crisis areas, most notably the Balkans, where weapons from the war era are still present.

Some sources indicate the possibility that a portion of the weapons comes from Ukraine, but this is all speculative, unlike the Balkans, which is known to be a reliable source of illegal armaments.

Today's gangs also heavily use digital technology, literally arranging the procurement and purchase of weapons through special applications.

They also use technology to locate members of rival gangs, placing GPS devices on their cars.

It was in this way, a few months ago, that a 16-year-old located a 15-year-old, shooting him in the face, stomach, and legs with a pistol in Sodertalje, south of Stockholm. The boy barely survived. This also involved illegal weapons.

The gangs also rely on modern logistics when recruiting, says Sven Granat, a Swedish expert for German media.

“On social networks like TikTok or in computer game chats on Twitch, they simultaneously send messages to hundreds of young people and children. They shower them with attention for months, offering them money for small jobs until some of them don't work. The gangs then exploit them for criminal acts – including murders,” says Granat.

Explosions have been occurring more frequently recently. Gang members throw hand grenades procured from the Balkans, but they also often detonate “homemade” bombs. Namely, they mostly steal explosives from construction sites in Sweden.

“They can literally use a 3D printer and a little explosive to make their own weapons,” Granat claims.