The end: Bloody conclusion to 17 years of crime in 1988

On a cold November morning in 1988, four men in police uniforms entered the Købmagergade Post Office in Copenhagen. Their action marked the bloody end of a 17-year wave of politically motivated crime that shook Denmark. The notorious Blekinge Street Gang, composed of idealistic, Marxist revolutionaries, had for two decades financed the Palestinian liberation struggle – PFLP – through sophisticated robberies, extensive arms smuggling, and cunning fraud. However, the case's complexity and fascination are particularly due to the many human destinies it intertwined; from the murdered police officer Jesper Egtved Hansen to a Swiss mercenary, cementing its place as one of Denmark's most remarkable and historic criminal cases.

The start: KAK and the first PFLP robbery in 1972

In the early 1970s, a group of young men in Copenhagen formed under the name Communist Working Group (KAK). Led by the charismatic Gottfred Appel, they represented a radical faction on the Danish left wing, viewing Third World liberation movements as the key to global revolution. Core members like Torkil Lauesen, Niels Jørgensen, and Peter Døllner were skilled organizers with a strong intellectual grounding in Marxist-Leninist theory. The group's first significant action was a robbery of a post office on Lyrskovgade in Copenhagen in December 1972. The proceeds of 287,000 kroner went to the first donations to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Their method was simple: using fake police uniforms and careful reconnaissance. Even then, the gang demonstrated the methodical approach that characterized their later operations, where every action was meticulously planned in detailed 'playbooks'.

'Clothes for Africa': Double life and kidnap failure, 1976

During the 1970s, the Blekinge Street Gang established a distinctive organizational structure. Outwardly, they were volunteers in the charity organization 'Clothes for Africa,' which served as an effective cover for their illegal activities and forms of gang crime. This dual structure allowed them to recruit new members, including Bo Weimann and Karsten Møller Hansen, under the guise of humanitarian work. In 1976, the group's ambitions escalated with a daring kidnapping attempt on the Swedish billionaire heir Jörn Rausing. The plan, which included a buried container in a forest and a threat tape recorded in Arabic, failed due to a misjudgment of Rausing's routines. Nevertheless, the attempted hostage-taking revealed the group's willingness to use increasingly extreme methods to acquire large sums of money.

1980s heists: Million kroner thefts and cunning plans

The 1980s were marked by a series of daring heists that pushed the boundaries of organized crime in Denmark. In 1983, the Blekinge Street Gang carried out a major cash-in-transit robbery on Lyngbygårdsvej, escaping with 8.3 million kroner thanks to an insider tip. Just two weeks later, six million of the loot surfaced with two PFLP agents in France, highlighting the gang's international connections. The so-called 'Wheelchair Robbery' at Herlev Post Office in 1985 demonstrated the group's psychological flair. An accomplice in a wheelchair created a diversion, enabling three masked robbers to overpower the guards and make off with 1.5 million kroner – a tactic that later inspired other criminals in Northern Europe.

Købmagergade heist: The day Jesper Egtved Hansen died

Early on the morning of November 3, 1988, at 5:15 AM, the meticulously planned robbery of the Købmagergade Post Office was set in motion. Four men in authentic police uniforms arrived at the post office in central Copenhagen. Using false reports of a nearby stabbing, they gained access to the inner courtyard just as a cash-in-transit van arrived. In just 87 seconds, they overpowered three guards, loaded 13 million kroner into a getaway car, and fled towards Amager. During the chaotic escape, a gang member fired a fatal shot from a sawed-off shotgun at 22-year-old police officer Jesper Egtved Hansen. The pellets struck him in the left eye, killing him instantly. This killing of a police officer brought an abrupt end to the Blekinge Street Gang's 17-year criminal career.

Investigation: From Carsten Nielsen to weapons cache

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) had been monitoring KAK and its successor groups since the mid-1970s but lacked crucial evidence. After Jesper Egtved Hansen's murder, the investigation intensified, and in April 1989, four core members were arrested. The decisive breakthrough came on May 20, 1989, when gang member Carsten Nielsen crashed his car on Birkerød Kongevej near Birkerød. In his car, police found a phone bill that led them to an apartment at Blekingegade 2 in Amager. A search of the apartment revealed an extensive weapons cache: seven anti-tank rockets, 12 machine guns, 45 small arms, and 120 kg of explosives. The most shocking discovery, however, was the so-called 'Z-file,' a database containing information on 500 Danish citizens of 'Jewish/Zionist origin.' The file had been compiled by Bo Weimann at the request of Marwan El-Fahoum from PFLP and revealed the gang's deep involvement in international terrorism.

Trial (1991): Robbery convictions and PFLP link revealed

After a 217-day trial, the Eastern High Court delivered its verdict on May 2, 1991. Seven men were convicted of aggravated robbery, but no one could be directly linked to the murder of Jesper Egtved Hansen. This was due to the gang's unbreakable code of silence and PET's limited testimony during the prosecution. The sentences ranged from one to ten years in prison, with Torkil Lauesen, Niels Jørgensen, and Peter Døllner receiving the harshest terms. The Swiss mercenary Marc Rudin was not convicted until 1993, following his extradition from Turkey. His role as PFLP's operational liaison uncovered the gang's global network, which included training camps in Lebanon and arms supplies from Eastern Europe.

Aftermath: PET scrutiny and commission's findings, 2010

Even after the convictions, several key questions remained unanswered. PET's handling of the Blekinge Street Gang case became the subject of a prolonged political debate, leading to the establishment of the Blekingegade Commission in 2010. The commission concluded that PET had not actively obstructed justice, but it pointed out structural shortcomings in the cooperation between the intelligence service and the regular police.

Political debate: Lauesen's defense and left connections

The debate over the case's political implications continues to this day. Several former members of the Blekinge Street Gang, including Torkil Lauesen, remain active on the far left and publicly defend their criminal actions as a legitimate part of the anti-imperialist struggle. This has created political tensions, not least concerning the Red-Green Alliance's historical ties to the PFLP through development aid projects.

Victims: Egtved Hansen's story and 'Z-file' fear

Although the Blekinge Street Gang is sometimes romanticized as idealistic revolutionaries, it is crucial to remember the story from the victims' perspective. For the family of the murdered police officer Jesper Egtved Hansen, the killing was the beginning of a long and arduous struggle for justice. His mother, Vivi Egtved Hansen, became a prominent voice in the debate for stricter gun laws and increased safety for police officers. The gang's activities also had severe consequences for the 500 individuals listed in the 'Z-file,' who suddenly saw themselves as potential targets for terrorism. For many of these families, whose only 'crime' was their Jewish background, this listing became an enduring trauma that flared up with every new act of terrorism in Europe.

Legacy: How the gang's methods changed policing

The Blekinge Street Gang's use of advanced technology, from intercepting police radio frequencies to manufacturing homemade bombs, forced a paradigm shift within the Danish police. Their detailed 'playbooks,' which meticulously described everything from escape routes to the psychological profiling of victims, became an important part of Danish intelligence training. PET's current capabilities in technical surveillance, including advanced eavesdropping equipment and cyber surveillance, are largely a result of the experiences from the Blekingegade case investigation. Likewise, the gang's use of false identity papers contributed to the development of Denmark's modern passport control systems.

30 years on: Blekinge Gang's lasting impact today

More than three decades after the convictions, the Blekinge Street Gang case still casts long shadows over Danish legal history and the broader understanding of politically motivated crime. Questions about the state's role in counter-terrorism, the limits of political activism, and the ethics of international solidarity remain as relevant today as they were in 1988. Some view this historic case as a warning against the dark sides of idealism, while others highlight its relevance in an era of increasing political polarization. Regardless of one's perspective, the Blekinge Street Gang stands as a stark reminder of how individual actions can trigger unforeseen chain reactions with far-reaching consequences that extend well beyond the perpetrators' original intentions.

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