Spanish police have dismantled a gang based in the eastern city of Alicante, allegedly recruiting Swedish and Danish teenagers to kill as paid assassins.

The police announced on Wednesday that they had arrested a married Swedish couple and their 15-year-old son, who had been recruiting other teenagers via the Telegram app to commit murders. The three are also accused of trafficking weapons and drugs, as well as money laundering.

The gang was dismantled before any murders could take place, said a police spokesperson.

In early November, Swedish prosecutors convicted one of the three suspects in absentia, sentencing him to prison for attempted murder, preparation for murder, and weapons-related crimes in Sweden, Denmark, and Spain. The suspects’ identities have not been made public.

The alleged crimes occurred in the spring and summer of 2024, according to prosecutors.

Sweden is facing an explosion of organized crime that is spreading across Europe. In August, Denmark urged Sweden to take stronger measures to stop cross-border gang violence and prevent armed Swedish teenagers from acting as “child soldiers.”

The 15-year-old son of the Swedish couple played a key role in recruiting and paying the other teenagers, according to the police.

The investigation began in May after police arrested a Swedish teenager in Benalmádena, a town near Malaga, who had been recruited by the gang to kill a member of a rival motorcycle gang, police said.

The teenager was given an assault rifle and an escape plan but was arrested before he could carry out the murder.

As part of a coordinated operation, Danish police also arrested two Swedish teenagers in May who had traveled to Denmark to commit murders, said the Spanish police.

The police emphasized that their investigation also uncovered a large criminal network operating between Sweden and Eastern European countries.