Three boys, two as young as 13, were in custody on Wednesday after police tied two of them to a shocking grenade attack in Oslo on Tuesday night. The boys are suspected of throwing two grenades out of a speeding car, one of which exploded on a busy downtown street.
Since all are under Norway’s criminal age for prosecution, the boys can’t be charged or put in prison. That’s in turn led police to also suspect the involvement of what they call a “criminal network” known for offering relatively large sums of cash to young boys willing to carry out such attacks. Two of the three boys in this case were put in the care of juvenile authorities on Wednesday, pending more questioning, but one of them was later released.
Police said they’ve already tied the dramatic attack to a specific “criminal player and milieu” and to an ongoing conflict “of which police were aware” between it and another criminal organization. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reported Wednesday afternoon that the main “criminal player” and suspect is the so-called “Foxtrot” network that’s been active in Sweden and run by Rawa Majid, also known as “the Kurdish fox.” Foxtrot is known for recruiting young boys to carry out “crime as a service” in return for cash and luxury items. One of the boys involved in Tuesday night’s grenade attack was allegedly promised NOK 30,000 to carry it out, according to NRK.
No one is believed to have beeen physically injured in connection with the explosion that rocked the entire area around the intersection of Pilestredet and Parkveien, not far from Bislett Stadium. It’s a busy area with a tram line, residential and commercial buildings and the campus of the Oslo Met university, housed in the old Frydenlund brewery.
“We understand that this has been a frightening episode for those in the area at the time,” said police chief Ida Melbo Øystese on Wednesday. “We want residents of the area to know that we are doing everything we can to maintain security.”
Police were out in full force both during the night and on Wednesday, to collect evidence, information and eyewitness reports, and conduct technical examinations at the scene of the explosion. Two grenades are believed to have been thrown from the vehicle, one of which exploded while the other did not. The target is believed to be a local business in the area.
Police confirmed reports that the grenade attack is also tied to a kidnapping case in Oslo. A 24-year-old man was allegedly kidnapped and taken abroad but was found last Friday. Police inspector Grete Lien Metlid confirmed to newspaper VG that the kidnapping was “part of the investigation.
It’s the “crime as a service” aspect of the case that was grabbing the most attention in Norwegian media on Wednesday. Many were shaken that young local boys in Norway are now being recruited by Swedish criminal networks. Justice Minister Astri Aas-Hansen was among those reacting strongly to the grenade attack, calling it “unacceptable and extremely serious that we experience explosions in the center of Oslo.” That’s been occurring in Stockholm and other Swedish cities for several years.
“As police chief,” Øystese said, “it’s important for me to stress that we are taking this case very seriously and putting great resources into the investigation.”
NewsinEnglish.no/Nina Berglund
