Children Recruited by Swedish 'Foxtrot' Gang to Throw Grenades in Oslo — Authorities Sound Alarm

Two 13-year-olds arrested after grenade attack in Bislett

Just after nightfall in Bislett, a usually quiet student neighbourhood in central Oslo, two 13-year-old boys stepped off a bus carrying hand grenades and walked toward a nail salon as undergraduates made their way home from bars. The youths threw the devices at the shopfront, shattering windows, peppering brickwork with shrapnel across a radius of roughly 20 yards and triggering an emergency bomb alert for residents. The attackers then vanished into the dark.

Foxtrot: a violent syndicate expanding into Norway

Investigators say the boys had carried out their first major assignment for Foxtrot, a violent organised-crime syndicate that began in Sweden around 2010 and is now moving operations into Norway. Foxtrot has been linked to dozens—possibly hundreds—of bombings and attempted contract killings as foot soldiers fight for control of the Nordic drug trade. Authorities believe grenade attacks and shootings are used to intimidate or remove rivals as the gang expands into what has historically been a less violent criminal market.

Recruitment, legal loopholes and smuggling

Police say the boys were contacted on social media by a middleman or "handler" working for Foxtrot and met a man in his 30s in a car park by a hiking trail outside Oslo, where they were allegedly handed a pair of Bosnian army-issue hand grenades smuggled into Norway. A legal threshold in Denmark, Norway and Sweden — under which children under 15 generally cannot be prosecuted — has been cited by investigators and MPs as a motivating factor for using very young recruits.

Other recent incidents

The Bislett explosion was followed by other violent incidents linked to Foxtrot in late September and early October: a grenade attack on a sushi restaurant in Strømmen (east of Oslo), in which a 15-year-old was suspected, and a shooting in Sarpsborg reportedly carried out by boys aged 12–14. Norwegian broadcaster NRK has reported the arrest of a man in his 30s alleged to have planned to hand grenades to children.

Law enforcement response

Kristin Ottesen Kvigne, head of Kripos (Norway’s national criminal investigation service), said investigators are monitoring the social media channels Foxtrot handlers use to recruit young people. Kripos shared examples of recruitment posts promising pay and protection and advertising work in Sweden, Denmark, Norway and abroad. Officials warn gangs are targeting Norway in part because perpetrators under 15 cannot generally be tried, reducing the risk of legal consequences.

Community impact and political reaction

The attacks have shaken Norway’s trust-based communities and spurred calls for stronger border and customs measures. Conservative MP Mahmoud Farahmand and others point to the challenges of integrating some migrant children and to national-security concerns about Foxtrot’s leadership, which investigators say operates from abroad. Justice Minister Astri Aas‑Hansen has said public safety is a priority and that agencies must improve information-sharing and target criminal finances.

Drugs, smuggling and border vulnerabilities

Foxtrot remains principally a drug-trafficking organisation. In Sweden it is a major heroin supplier; in Norway it appears more focused on party drugs. In 2023, Norwegian customs intercepted an 800kg shipment of cocaine concealed in banana crates — the largest seizure customs officials had seen. Officials warn that staffing and equipment shortages at Norway’s borders make the country vulnerable to large-scale smuggling operations.

Witness accounts and privacy constraints

Witnesses described the shock of the Bislett blast and the subsequent police warnings to residents to close curtains and avoid windows. Oslo police arrested two 13-year-old boys; under Norwegian privacy laws their identities cannot be published. One boy was later placed in juvenile care and the other released. Authorities are continuing to investigate handlers, supply chains for weapons and cross-border criminal networks.

Key facts: Children under 15 in Norway cannot generally be prosecuted; the gang Foxtrot originated in Sweden around 2010; investigators reported Bosnian army grenades were smuggled into Norway; a large 800kg cocaine seizure occurred in 2023.

This article has been edited for clarity and flow while preserving reported facts and quotes from official sources. Ongoing investigations may produce additional details.