Mikael 'Greken' Tenezos, leader of the Dalen network, has been arrested in Mexico according to Mexican authorities, though Swedish police have not confirmed the reports. The arrest follows an international operation, and he is suspected of serious crimes including drug smuggling and inciting violence. Experts believe it could reduce gang violence in Sweden.
Mikael 'Greken' Tenezos, one of Sweden's most wanted gang leaders, is reported to have been arrested in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico, on October 12, 2025. According to Mexican authorities, the arrest took place on a highway near Cancún in a coordinated operation with Swedish police. Tenezos was apprehended alongside a Mexican man suspected of handling his logistics, finances, and money laundering through cryptocurrencies and renting luxury apartments in Cancún and Mérida.
Swedish police and prosecutors can neither confirm nor deny the arrest, but they are working intensively on the case, according to press secretary Caroline Wiklund: 'We are aware of the reports and are working intensively on the matter.' Mexican media report that Tenezos may already be en route to Sweden after being handed over to migration authorities for transport to Europe.
Tenezos is detained in absentia for a series of serious crimes. In 2020, he is suspected of aggravated drug smuggling of over ten kilograms of cannabis from Spain to Sundsvall, as well as attempted smuggling of five kilograms and money laundering involving 85,000 kronor. In April 2023, he was detained by Sundsvall District Court for these offenses. Later, in May 2025, he was again detained by Södertälje District Court for attempted murder, preparation for murder, aggravated endangerment, and weapons offenses in Södertälje, Växjö, and Åkersberga during the summer of 2024. He is suspected of recruiting youths, including minors, to carry out explosions and shootings. Prosecutor Ida Arnell commented: 'We have requested his extradition. That's as far as we've gotten.'
The Dalen network, led by Tenezos, engages in 'crime as a service' and is behind much of Sweden's serious violence alongside the Rumba and Foxtrot networks. The conflict in Sundsvall escalated in late 2022. Earlier this year, another leader, Ismail Abdo, was arrested in Turkey. Criminologist Manne Gerell believes the arrest will likely reduce violence: 'Violence decreases when a person stops pumping money into the conflict.' Two of three designated gang leaders are now imprisoned, which could create a power vacuum but is most likely to lead to calmer times as the network weakens.
