Sweden has recently seen an alarming rise in armed conflicts between immigrant gangs vying for control of the drug market. A particularly disturbing trend is the increasing involvement of children in these violent crimes, with children as young as ten years old participating in activities ranging from theft to cold-blooded murder. This development highlights how easy it has become for criminal gangs to recruit and exploit minors for their illegal purposes.
Youths are enticed by promises of excitement, status, and financial reward. Many of these children are desperately seeking belonging or a way to earn money, making them easy targets for the manipulative tactics of gangs. 'You're only fifteen, brother. You'll be in jail for just two months, then you're out again and you'll have money,' are the kinds of messages that reporters from the newspaper Dagens Nyheter found in chat groups where criminal leaders communicate. Through these networks, criminals recruit children to do their 'dirty work,' further emphasizing how easy it has become for gangs to hire young offenders with minimal consequences for the gangs themselves.