The wanted gang leader Mikael 'Greken' Tenezos, 27, has been arrested in Cancun, Mexico, and deported to Sweden. He is suspected of directing criminal activities from abroad, including contract killings and drug crimes. Police now warn of a potential power vacuum in the criminal environment.
Mikael 'Greken' Tenezos was arrested over the weekend in Cancun, Mexico, after staying illegally in the country for several years. The 27-year-old leader of the Dalen network is suspected of directing criminal activities in Sweden from there, including incitement to murder and drug crimes, as well as over 20 offenses in total. He arrived in Sweden on Friday following deportation, as Mexico had no interest in keeping him.
Swedish police closely collaborated with Mexican authorities, and a post-summer meeting was decisive for the arrest, according to prosecutor Ida Arnell. 'We have had meetings with Mexico and provided information about the person and the network,' she says. Eurojust assisted in coordination. Niclas Andersson, head of the investigation unit at Noa, confirms: 'Mexico had no interest in him staying, so they wanted to deport him to Sweden.'
The arrest is one of three abroad last week: two in Europe (Austria and Denmark) and Tenezos in Mexico. This year, police have arrested over 200 criminals, many influential. Despite this, police are not satisfied, as around 800 Swedish criminals are abroad influencing crime here, mainly in Iraq, Turkey, Morocco, and Spain. Other priority targets include Rawa Majid, whose whereabouts are unknown, and Ismail Abdo, arrested in Turkey last summer.
Hanna Paradis, deputy head at Noa, warns of consequences: 'One consequence is that it creates instability in network structures. Loyalties are questioned.' This could lead to escalation of violence, but police exploit the unrest to gather information and prosecute more. Tenezos denies the crimes, according to his lawyer.