Arrest of 'The Strawberry' Could Spark More Violence Among Criminal Networks

The arrest of Ismail 'The Strawberry' Abdo could lead to increased conflict both within and between criminal networks.

"We've seen examples of this before in Sweden, and we cannot rule out that it will happen again," says Manne Gerell, a criminology researcher at Malmö University.

On Friday, State Prosecutor Daniel Jonsson confirmed that gang leader Ismail Abdo, also known as 'The Strawberry', was arrested in Turkey. He has long been a priority for Swedish police.

"Ismail Abdo clearly has significant resources, large networks, and competencies. Such an actor can enable other criminals to commit more and more advanced crimes," Gerell told TT.

Successor May Be Waiting

The detention could weaken the entire network, but there might also be a successor waiting to take the gang leader's position.

"There is some research on removing leaders within criminal networks, and it is somewhat divided. Sometimes it seems to weaken the networks, and sometimes it just leads to someone else taking their place," says Manne Gerell.

When a gang leader disappears, new conflicts can also arise within and between different criminal networks.

"It can lead to instability in the networks and, in turn, to more violence. We've seen previous examples of this in Sweden, and we cannot rule out that it will happen again," says Manne Gerell.

Several Serious Crimes in Sweden

'Jordgubben' is both detained in absentia and internationally wanted for several serious crimes in Sweden, but the reason for his arrest is due to a Turkish case. This was announced by Mats Berggren, acting deputy chief at Noa – the police's national operational department – on Friday.

"It's very positive that there has been more success in the cooperation between Sweden and Turkey," says Manne Gerell.