Foxtrot, Dalen and Rumba – three criminal networks and their leaders bear responsibility for nearly half of all gang violence that has led to personal injuries or deaths in Sweden during 2025.
Despite extensive police operations following the major wave of violence in 2023, the same gang leaders continue to control their organizations and instigate violent acts from abroad, according to an internal situation report obtained by Bonnier newspaper Expressen.
The police report identifies three main actors: Foxtrot led by Rawa “Kurdish Fox” Majid, the Dalen network headed by Mikael “The Greek” Tenezos, and the Rumba network under Ismail “Strawberry” Abdo.
“There are over 50 mapped networks in Sweden that are assessed to have very high violence potential. In light of this, it is remarkable that only three networks are involved in nearly half of the violence that leads to personal injuries and/or deaths”, the police write.
Conflicts between the three networks have somewhat subsided since the 2023 wave of violence, which is reflected in statistics showing a sharp decrease in gun violence, but police simultaneously warn that this does not mean the networks have been weakened. Both Foxtrot and Dalen have instead focused on drug trafficking and carry out violent acts for payment.
Released on bail – now arrested again
The Rumba network is reported to have been weakened since leader Ismail Abdo was arrested by Turkish police in early July 2025. The arrest is considered a major success for Swedish police, as the network is suspected of extensive weapons smuggling and a long series of violent acts.
Abdo had previously been arrested in Turkey in May 2024, when he was armed with a loaded pistol and wearing a bulletproof vest. But he was released after paying the equivalent of approximately €550 in bail.
Smuggling hand grenades from the Balkans
Foxtrot, which is assessed to be the most violence-driven network, has according to police “an established logistics chain for smuggling weapons and hand grenades from the Balkans”. The network has carried out several attacks per month during 2025, primarily to strengthen its position in the drug market.
Among the notable incidents is a series in western Sweden where a shooting and four arson attacks were carried out after the network’s accomplices stole over 30 kilos of cocaine. In another case, three bombing attacks were carried out against a person’s relatives as pressure for that person to start dealing Foxtrot’s narcotics.
Rawa Majid, who left Turkey in autumn 2023, remains at large. Reports have claimed that he was detained in Iran and he has also been accused of orchestrating attacks against Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.
In January, Majid’s uncle was murdered in Husby, a Stockholm suburb. In an interrogation, Majid’s father said his son had promised not to seek revenge.
— He promised me not to do anything, the father said. When police asked where the son got information about who ordered the murder, the answer was: “He knows everything”.
Police assess that “a critical dependency for the Foxtrot network’s use of violence is likely the strategic persons who are located abroad”.
New wave of violence expected
Mikael Tenezos, the former hockey talent who leads the Dalen network, is in turn wanted in absentia but controls his network from Mexico. Despite repeated appeals from Swedish authorities, most recently in February 2025, he has not yet been arrested.
The Dalen network dominates drug trafficking in northern Sweden, with Gävle as the new central distribution point. The network also carries out violent acts for payment, primarily threats, violence and debt collection for financial criminals. The weapons used have largely come from the Rumba network’s smuggling from Turkey.
Police warn of the risk that a new major conflict could break out if Foxtrot and Dalen clash in the drug market. Both networks are assessed to have the ability to quickly scale up and carry out multiple violent acts in a short time.
