– We have enough violence here in Iraq, and we do not need to import anything from abroad, as people say, Norwegian-Iraqi Muhammad Saif Al-Mufti.
On Monday, Swedish gang leader Benzema executed his car on one of the busiest streets in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
While he was standing in line, a person dressed as a food delivery worker got off his motorcycle and ran towards Benzema's car, according to what videos of the incident showed.
The killer pulled out his weapon and killed Benzema.
Photos of the window pane show at least 11 bullet holes. Audio from the video indicates there may be up to 15 takes.
Iraq has had enough to contend with in recent decades: dictator Saddam Hussein, the US invasion, the terrorist regime ISIS, and widespread sectarian violence.
Now the country faces a new problem: Swedish gang crime.
According to the report, the killing sparked great controversy in Iraq Swedish Radio.
– It was shown on all television channels, says the Norwegian-Iraqi writer Muhammad Saif Al-Mufti, who is in Iraq during the day.
One question is whether Iraq has a problem with foreign crimes imported from Sweden – a sort of echo of the debate about gang crime and immigration that has been taking place in Sweden for many years.
Part of the Foxtrot struggle
Mustafa “Benzema” Al-Jubouri was part of the violent conflict between different factions of the Foxtrot criminal network.
The divided network and the leader of the “Kurdish Fox” are at the heart of the wave of violence in Sweden.
Benzema remained hidden in Baghdad for a long time, after his enemies promised to reward him. In September last year, a bomb exploded at his address in Upplands Vasby, according to the report Television 4.
He had already been shot and killed in Iraq once before.
Last fall, torpedoes in Iraq were said to have been activated to kill Benzema, according to the report Express. But Benzema went with the torpedoes and killed him.
He did not appear again until the shooting prize was paid with a gold-colored Kalashnikov rifle in a live broadcast on Instagram, in front of 19,000 viewers.
The suspected shooter flew in from Sweden
A 19-year-old man was arrested and suspected of being the shooter. He had flown from Sweden to Iraq the day before the killing.
Other Swedish citizens are also suspected of involvement in the murder.
According to Iraqi media, this is the first time that foreign criminal networks have reconciled publicly.
The suspected shooter is an Albanian Swede, while one of the suspected accomplices has a father from Iraq. Benzema was also born in Baghdad, but he is a Swedish citizen.
It is mentioned in the Iraqi media, among other things, that:
- The murdered person and the suspect must be Swedish citizens and hold Swedish passports.
- The suspected shooter does not know the country's language, which is Arabic.
The Norwegian-Iraqi Mufti says that the news of the killing of a Swedish gang in Baghdad “came as a shock.”
– Even I was surprised. He says: Think about what it was like for other Iraqis.
Mufti says he followed the ensuing controversy on television, among friends and on social media.
Among the questions being asked is whether Swedish crime could become a growing problem in Iraq.
– People say: We have enough violence here in Iraq, we don't need to import anything from abroad, people say.
Others pointed out how easy it is for foreigners to enter the country, while it is difficult for Iraqis to leave it, he continued.
Raises controversy over immigration
Swedish journalist Shahu Mwani repeated parts of the controversy sparked by the murder on Sveriges Radio on Thursday:
– It is widely discussed. The Iraqi government and the police are primarily criticized. Mwani says it was discussed how foreign criminals could enter the country and commit crimes in Iraq.
– At the same time, there are Iraqis who say that there are several thousand foreigners in the country, working and helping to rebuild the country, he continues.
– It sounds like a Swedish debate, only in Iraq, the announcer interrupts.
In the comments section of an Iraqi journalist who posted a video of the shooting, one wrote:
– Who allowed them to enter Iraq?
Sweden is just gangs, murder and drugs, writes another.
note! Also in Norway, there were several crimes last year that police believe have links to Swedish gang crimes.
- In March last year, a man was kidnapped in Trondheim.
- Last November, a Swedish man in his 30s was shot dead outside Musehallen.
- Drug crime In Tromsø Also connected to Swedish networks.
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