1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
CrimeSweden

From snapchat to murder: How criminals recruite teenagers

28:34

This browser does not support the video element.

August 4, 2025

They’re barely teens — yet they deal drugs, attack people, and even commit contract killings. Across Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden, teenagers are increasingly being recruited via social media by criminal networks.

This documentary reconstructs the case of 15-year-old Mike, who is accused of shooting a man in Hamburg. What was his connection to the 49-year-old victim? Was it a targeted hit? A gang-related conflict? The filmmakers speak to Mike’s friends and acquaintances, analyze chat histories, and uncover cases following a disturbingly similar pattern. What lies behind the phenomenon of "Crime as a Service”? What role do digital platforms like Telegram and Snapchat play? The film shows how young people in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands are lured in. It also asks why they are particularly vulnerable to these structures, and how difficult it is to break free once they’ve been drawn in. 

For more on this series, follow this link

Skip next section About the show

About the show

Close up — The Current Affairs Documentary

Our weekly half-hour program delivers in-depth reporting on topical political issues and newsworthy events. Revealing the story behind the stories, Close Up is informative, gripping and visually powerful.