A 21-year-old Swedish man accused of being a key organizer of violence-as-a-service linked to the Foxtrot criminal network, which police say has recruited and exploited minors, has been arrested in Iraq.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, is wanted on several charges including instigated murder, instigated attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit murder, according to the Swedish Police Authority. His December arrest followed a coordinated investigation between Iraqi and Swedish cops, and extradition proceedings are underway.
Police say the man is linked to the Foxtrot criminal network and has played a central role in coordinating violence-as-a-service, including the recruitment and exploitation of minors to carry out serious acts of violence.
He's also a "high-value target" connected to Europol's Operational Taskforce (OTF) GRIMM that targets violence-as-a-service and other cross-border violent crime.
In connection with this operation, police say a second, unnamed individual also linked to Foxtrot was arrested and remanded in absentia by Sweden's Gothenburg District Court for conspiracy to commit murder, gross public destruction, aiding and abetting a violation of the Act on Flammable and Explosive Goods, and involving a minor in crime.
"In Sweden, we have seen, among other things, that Foxtrot and the Dalen network have systematically exploited children and young people, including young people with disabilities," the Swedish police said in announcing the arrests.
Neither Europol nor the Swedish Police Authority immediately responded to The Register's inquiries. We will update this story when we receive additional information.
GRIMM began in April 2025, and includes investigators from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK, plus Europol experts and online service providers.
During its first six months, police involved in this operation arrested 193 people - including minors accused of involvement in murder plots - amidst what security researchers have described as a "dramatic" increase in cybercrime involving physical violence across Europe.
Many of the gang members are also linked to The Com, a loosely knit group of primarily English speakers who are also involved in several interconnected networks of hackers, SIM swappers, and extortionists such as Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters.
Over the summer, the FBI warned that a subset of this cybercrime group, called In Real Life (IRL) Com, poses a growing threat to youth. ®
Source: The register