COPENHAGEN: Denmark said on Friday it was beefing up its border controls with Sweden following a resurgence of Swedish gang violence that has spilled over into Denmark in recent weeks.

Copenhagen said it hoped to contain the spread of violence on its territory, after Swedes were arrested suspected of several violent crimes in Denmark.

“The (Danish) police have decided to increase controls with Sweden,” Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard told TV2 television.

“Just before the summer break, the Danish parliament adopted... a vast series of measures regarding the gangs which... give police new and better tools to fight organised crime,” he said in a statement published by his ministry.

“Today, we are tightening the screws even further.” Police controls will be increased on trains crossing the Oresund Strait between the southern Swedish city of Malmo and the Danish capital Copenhagen, the main crossing point between the countries. They will also be increased on the Oresund road bridge linking the two cities, with the use of camera surveillance among other things.

Since April, Swedes have been implicated in 25 cases in Denmark linked to organised crime, Hummelgaard told reporters on Thursday.

In recent days, three Swedes — all minors — have been arrested and held in custody following three shootings in Denmark. Sweden has struggled to contain the rising gang violence in recent years, with shootings and bombings now weekly occurrences across the Scandinavian country.

Other violent incidents linked to Sweden’s gangs have taken place in Norway, Turkiye and Iraq in recent months. The Swedish gang violence was originally linked to control over the drugs market, but has increasingly spread to rivalries and personal vendettas, among other things.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2024