Last year, police confiscated 22 guns associated with organized crime. This year, 21 guns have have been confiscated and police fear the escalated tension among gangs.
The situation among criminals in Oslo is so tense that police fear acts of retaliation at any time. Police Chief Hans Sverre Sjøvold has invested an additional NOK 5 million in order to increase the police's resources for both surveillance and investigations.
Since January last year, there have been more than 11 open shootings in Oslo. At least six of them are connected to gang crime, and none of the cases have been solved.
"This definitely increases the level of tension among these groups," says head of the Oslo Police's section for organized crime, Einar Aas.
Police see a tendency of people carrying more arms, especially in gang-related environments. One of the police's main strategies moving forward will be to keep a much closer eye on the largest gangs, and work together with other police districts where some of the gang members have their base.
(Aftenposten)
