Europol arrests leader of Foxtrot “violence-as-a-service” network
A Swedish national has been arrested for operating the Foxtrot criminal network, an illicit organization that groomed children into crime.
As a part of Operation Taskforce GRIMM, a 21-year-old Swedish national has been arrested in Iraq following long-term cooperation between the Swedish Police and Iraqi law enforcement.
The 21-year-old was previously listed on the European Union’s Most Wanted List and has since been marked as arrested.
The suspect, whose name has not been revealed, is believed to be the main organizer of a network that coordinated serious violence directed towards Swedish citiziens.
The Foxtrot network operated violence-as-a-service, which “outsourced violent acts to criminal service providers,” Europol said in a previous report.
These models usually find young children or teenagers who are willing to commit violent acts like threats, assaults, or even murders, for a fee.
Criminal gangs like Foxtrot groom young children into violence, which is often done through social media and other online means.
These vulnerable people are often coerced or groomed into committing acts such as drug trafficking, cyber attacks, online fraud, or violent extortion.
Alongside the unnamed Swedish national, another suspect has been linked to the Foxtrot network and has also been arrested.
“This person is wanted by Swedish judicial authorities for multiple serious offences, including conspiracy to commit murder and explosives-related crimes,” Europol said in its report.
Europol believes that the apprehension of the 21-year-old operator will “significantly weaken the network’s ability to coordinate violence internationally.”
The arrested parties are set to be extradited as Europol’s task force continues to hunt for those affiliated with the criminal network.
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