Contract killings now seen as low-status work in Swedish gangs, police say

Swedish gangs are increasingly recruiting young women for violent assignments, including contract killings, according to a senior police investigator. In an interview with public broadcaster SVT, Detective Superintendent Gunnar Appelgren said financial gain—often as little as 100,000 to 300,000 kronor (€8,500–25,500)—was the primary motivation for both young men and women taking on such roles.

Appelgren told SVT’s Morgonstudion that police had observed a shift in recent years, with young women now actively seeking violent assignments advertised on social media and encrypted platforms—a model he described as “crime as a service.”

“Girls are online just like boys, and they also want money and status symbols,” he said. “When we’ve examined phones in investigations, we’ve seen both boys and girls asking for different kinds of jobs.”

A 15-year-old girl is suspected of involvement in two of five shootings reported in Sweden this week—one in Vårby gård, south of Stockholm, and another in Rosengård, Malmö—allegedly acting on orders from the Foxtrot criminal network, according to SVT sources. A second 15-year-old girl is reportedly under suspicion for a fatal shooting in Örebro, as reported by P4 Stockholm.

Appelgren noted that while contract killings were once high-status within criminal circles, they had now become “low-status work.” He also pointed to weather as a potential factor in the recent surge in shootings, citing research showing gun violence often occurs in waves. A cold, snowy start to the year may have temporarily disrupted mobility for perpetrators, who typically rely on two-wheeled vehicles, he suggested.

“The conflicts and orders were always there, and so were the people willing to carry them out,” Appelgren said. “But when people start moving outdoors again and can meet—and escape—more easily, the violence unfortunately increases.”