Danish police officer charged with leaking gang investigation details to journalists

A 51-year-old officer from East Jutland Police faces up to two years in prison after being accused of leaking confidential gang-related investigation documents to journalists, DR reports.

The officer, who worked in the intelligence and analysis unit, allegedly took home a classified 2020 report titled “Clan-Based Crime in Aarhus West” containing names, personal identification numbers, photos, case references, and police employee details. Prosecutors claim he later provided the document to journalists working on a crime documentary.

He is further accused of sharing a police overview of gang members in the Rosenhøj and Trillegården areas, reportedly stating: “This is a total gang overview of all the gangs—Rosenhøj, Trillegården—including personal numbers and everything.” The officer also allegedly disclosed the existence of police-held video footage from a mediation meeting.

East Jutland Police Director Kirsten Dyrman declined to comment, but the indictment states the leaks risked harming individuals named in the report and undermining police operations. Nicolaj Holst, a criminal law professor at Aarhus University, called the case unusual, noting such voluntary disclosures by police are rare.

If convicted, Holst said the breach could erode trust in the force: “It’s essential that police officers don’t share sensitive information—especially not with journalists whose role is to disseminate it.”