According to the police, an unusually large number of serious violent crimes occurred between weeks 38 and 40 in the police region, which includes Gävleborg, Uppsala and Västmanland counties.
This involves around 20 incidents – including shootings, explosions and arson attacks – linked to network crime. About 20 people are suspected, and most of them are children.
"What stands out is that the majority are under 15 years old", says Erik Åkerlund, responsible for the work against serious violence in criminal environments in police region Mitt, in a press release.
Only one of the suspects had been reported missing or had gone missing from a placement before the crime. In several cases, the people recruited to commit the crimes have regretted it and in some cases contacted a family member.
"It is important that parents, teachers or other adults in the vicinity of young people become better at detecting and catching deviant behavior in young people and that they contact the police or social services if they feel anxious", says Erik Åkerlund.
