3 Swedish teens, aged 14-17, allegedly threw hand grenades at residential houses for S$6,235

Three Swedish teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of being linked to a series of hand grenade attacks around the city of Gothenburg, Sweden.

They were aged 14, 16 and 17 and are believed to have acted under the instructions of The Foxtrot Network, an infamous criminal network in Sweden that emerged at the end of the 2010s and has been responsible for a number of violent incidents in the country.

Grenade attacks

According to Swedish news outlet Nordic Today, three hand grenades were thrown at residential houses in Mölndal and Nödinge municipalities within a span of 48 hours.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported that a resident at Mölndal woke up to an undetonated hand grenade just outside their gate on Sep. 5, prompting them to call the police.

After the grenade was defused by authorities, it was found to carry the DNA of two people, later revealed to be the 14 year-old and 16-year-old.

CCTV footage found that the next day, on Sep. 6, both girls travelled by train and bus to Nödinge, 24km north of Gothenburg.

They were seen travelling with the 17-year-old, who carried two hand grenades in her handbag.

A short while after their arrival, police received reports of a hand grenade that had been thrown at and exploded outside the ground floor of an apartment.

Another undetonated grenade was also found in the bushes by the wall of the house.

The trio was arrested a few days later after police traced the 14-year-old and 16-year-old via their DNA on the undetonated grenade at the first crime scene in Mölndal.

Communication exchanges on the latter's phone then led to the 17-year-old's arrest.

'SuperMario' and links to Foxtrot

Investigations revealed that on their way back after the second attack, the girls texted an individual who went by the alias "SuperMario", who asked for confirmation that they had thrown the grenades as instructed.

The 14-year-old suspect was revealed to be the first of the trio to be recruited by "SuperMario", before she roped in the 16-year-old.

She also admitted to knowing that "SuperMario" was a member of the Foxtrot Network, though she did not know his real identity.

He had allegedly promised money to the teenagers in exchange for their involvement in the crimes, which they said had to do with a "gang war".

For throwing the hand grenades, the girls were paid 45,000 krona (S$6,235) each.

They were seen withdrawing the money at ATM machines after carrying out the crimes.

Upon their arrest, the teenagers expressed remorse for their actions, with the 16-year-old alleging that she felt threatened by "SuperMario".

The two older teenagers are standing trial in Gothenburg, while an evidentiary hearing was brought against the 14-year-old as she is under the legal age for punishment.

Recruitment of minors

The incidents are a reflection of a growing trend of minors' involvement in terror attacks in Sweden.

They are also said to be connected to a shooting that occurred in Grästorp in May, another Foxtrot masterminded crime where a 16-year-old boy was convicted.

Minors are typically used by Foxtrot to carry out violence due to the lighter sentences they face if caught, Nordic Today said.

Youths are also thought to be more vulnerable, while criminal networks can offer a sense of belonging, status and quick money.

Top images from Swedish Police via Aftonbladet