Five suspects accused of organising and recruiting for serious violence across Europe have been arrested in Spain, Morocco and France.
The arrests were made in August and September under Operational Taskforce (OTF) GRIMM, a Europol-coordinated effort targeting people suspected of ordering attacks, finding perpetrators and directing crimes from abroad, the agency announced on Friday.
A man in his mid-20s was arrested in Paris on 29 September, after French authorities worked with the Swedish Police Authority and Europol, and he is suspected of instigating preparations for murder.
He was described as a “High Value Target” within OTF GRIMM because of an alleged role recruiting people to carry out “violence-as-a-service” crimes — a term Europol uses for arranged attacks carried out on behalf of others.
Arrests span Spain and Morocco
A 21-year-old Swedish national was arrested in Sitges, Spain, on 1 August and is suspected of involvement in around 20 serious violent offences, including murders and attempted murders targeting rival criminal groups, Europol said.
He allegedly trained young recruits to carry out killings and coordinated attacks, including teaching them how to use firearms and explosives that he supplied.
Moroccan authorities arrested a 28-year-old Danish national in Tangier on 12 September who was wanted for allegedly instigating murders and kidnappings.
In a separate arrest in Tangier in September, Moroccan authorities detained a 21-year-old Swedish national suspected of holding a leading role in the “Foxtrot” criminal network and wanted for instigating violent crimes in Sweden and Norway.
A 31-year-old Swedish national was arrested in Agadir on 25 September and was wanted for two alleged offences involving preparations for murder, with Swedish police identifying him as a central figure in directing violent activities and drug trafficking.
Some of those arrested were fugitives featured on the EU Most Wanted website.
