In open-door Sweden, “Stockholm police have warned of the growing influence of the ‘Black Ax’, a Nigerian criminal gang connected to drug trafficking and prostitution involving illegal migrants.”
Organized crime and jihad have converged and are both expanding their activities. A report three years ago by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation showed a troubling pattern: “criminal and terrorist networks across Europe are merging to create a dangerous brand of jihadi for whom violence is not just a holy pursuit, but a way of life.”
Earlier this year, Italian police warned of a crime-terror nexus with “the potential of Islamic radicalisation among the Nigerian mafia, saying that the influence of terrorist groups like Boko Haram was spreading among mafia members.”
A CBS report also showed that the “lines between terrorism and criminality are becoming blurred as an increasing number of former criminals join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and create a gangster jihad.” Organized crime has becoming an increasingly lucrative way of raising money to finance jihad terror.
The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point has noted that the Islamic State was “encouraging crime as the preferred means of raising funds”; therefore, “it can be hypothesized that criminal funding will increase.”
“Swedish Police Warn Brutal Nigerian Mafia Gaining Foothold in Stockholm,” by Chris Tomlinson, Breitbart, October 3, 2019:
Stockholm police have warned of the growing influence of the “Black Ax”, a Nigerian criminal gang connected to drug trafficking and prostitution involving illegal migrants.
The Black Ax is said to be an international group which operates in several southern European countries. Fifteen members of the group were arrested this week in Gothenburg in connection to drug trafficking cases, Sveriges Radio reports.
Earlier this week, Gothenburg police arrested 15 drug smugglers connected to an international cocaine and heroin smuggling ring, finding 115 million Swedish kronor’s ($11,647,775/£9,467,375) worth of drugs.
Swedish customs say they seized approximately 300lbs of narcotics in total, including 110lbs of heroin. Prosecutor Anna Svedin noted that the network was based in the Netherlands and said: “Some of the defendants have links to Black Ax, but not all.”
Lennart Karlsson, intervention manager at the Klara area in Stockholm, said that police have noted an increased presence of the Nigerian mafia in recent years. Mr Karlsson said: “The really heavy establishment has been over the last five years.”
“The mosque here hears from us. They often meet people who have been told to come here and get contacts to get a job. But then the Black Ax members hang outside and attract them,” he continued.
“This organisation works with both prostitution and drug trafficking,” he added….