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A worrying criminal trend is taking hold in Europe: criminal gangs are using encrypted apps to recruit teenagers as young as 14 to commit violent crimes, including contract killings.
These are not detective dramas, but real-life cases of young people being caught up in the so-called ‘violence as a service’ model. Through secure messaging services, criminals offer money for attacks and international borders are no longer an obstacle.
The investigation, launched by the Danish National Serious Crime Authority with the support of the Swedish police, has already led to arrests. Key incidents include the Kokkedal shooting on May 7, 2025. Seven people aged between 14 and 26 have been arrested or have voluntarily turned themselves in to the authorities, including residents of Sweden and Morocco. Two 18-year-olds from Sweden are suspected of active recruitment: according to investigators, they helped organize the crimes and provided weapons and shelters to the participants.
In response to the threat, Europol has activated the international task force OTF GRIMM, created in April 2025. It includes Denmark, Sweden, Germany, France, Finland, the Netherlands and other countries. The main goal is to expose the digital infrastructure through which such crimes are coordinated.
According to the director of the European Organised Crime Centre, modern criminal networks act pragmatically and cynically, delegating dangerous tasks to teenagers and promising them money easy.
It is worth noting that encrypted applications have long been used in other criminal schemes. For example, in the major international investigation into the network “764“, associated with the exploitation of minors, the main suspects from the United States and Greece also coordinated their actions via anonymous messages.
The authorities are stepping up prevention activities: recommendations are being published for parents and teachers to help them timely identify warning signs. Sudden changes in behavior, the appearance of expensive items for no apparent reason. Europol stresses that early intervention can save teenagers from a dangerous path.
The investigation is ongoing. The aim is to find the organizers and close the channels that turn safe chats into tools of criminal influence.
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