Oslo criminal networks grow more fragmented and volatile, police warn

Oslo police say 120 criminal networks now operate in the Norwegian capital, with the landscape becoming increasingly chaotic and difficult to monitor, according to reporting by Dagbladet.

Of those 120 networks, 50 are involved in drug trafficking, violence and weapons, according to Kenneth Wilberg, head of the intelligence section at the Joint Unit for Intelligence and Investigation (FEE) at Oslo Police. Wilberg declined to break the numbers down further.

The shift marks a stark contrast to the gang culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, when Oslo’s criminal environment was dominated by clearly structured gangs with defined hierarchies, territorial boundaries and recognised leaders. That era culminated in a 2006 shooting between the gangs “B-gjengen” and “Young Guns” at the Aker Brygge waterfront, which prompted Oslo Police to launch a dedicated gang project.

“Back when I was active as a gang member in the 2000s, there were clearly hierarchically structured gangs, with distinct leaders and defined networks tied to specific areas,” said Mikael Niaz Ali, a former “Young Guns” member who now works in crime prevention. “The police’s job was, in a sense, simpler, because it was clearer which individuals belonged to which gang.”

Ali credits the gang project with early success but says a critical error was made when police leadership declared victory and wound it down in 2011. “Short-term efforts were made instead of allocating resources and personnel for long-term work,” he said. “When the gang project ended, it gave the gangs breathing room and the opportunity to restructure.”

According to Ali, former rivals used that period to form alliances and agreements across gang lines, making the environment far more dynamic and harder for police to track. Several of the older gangs continue to operate today alongside newly formed youth gangs.

“What we see now is a more chaotic culture of violence emerging among young people. District against district. Postcodes are used as symbols of fear. Fights are arranged on social media. Many incidents are connected to the metro system. If you are from Mortensrud and travel to Furuset, you risk getting beaten up. It is quite extreme,” Ali said.

Wilberg echoes this assessment. “There are still clearly defined networks today, but we also have a range of more loosely structured groups, as well as individual criminal actors who collaborate across both networks and other individuals. This makes the landscape highly dynamic, and network constellations change rapidly, which demands more of the police to maintain oversight,” he said.

Dagbladet reports awareness of several active gangs in the capital, including “313”, based in the Tøyen and Grønland neighbourhoods; the former “Young Bloods”, now split into two factions operating in Mortensrud and Holmlia; and “Comanches MC”, formerly known as Satudarah, based in Vestli, where several individuals linked to the network have recently been convicted or charged with serious violent offences. In late April, a man linked to Comanches MC was shot and killed in the Økern area of Oslo. Two Swedish teenagers have been charged in connection with the killing.

Former member of parliament and deputy chair of the justice committee Jan Bøhler, who closely follows criminal developments in Oslo, points to the emergence of what he describes as a gangster culture with no barriers against attacking family members, attacking in groups, and using social media to humiliate victims. He also highlights the role of so-called “gangster drill” music videos in promoting a culture of violence.

“There is a lot in motion right now,” Bøhler said.