Swedish Rapper’s Assassination Exposes Costa del Sol’s Gang War

The Marbella police investigators believe that this murder is linked to drug trafficking, the Swedish mafia, and a possible settling of scores between rival Swedish gangs, who are becoming increasingly active on the Costa del Sol. The victim, Hamza Karimi, 25 years old, of Moroccan origin, was a rapper known as Hamko. The incident occurred last Friday. Hamko was walking on José Banús Avenue, the main street of the Marbella port, when suddenly a man approached him, drew a weapon, and shot him. The entire scene was captured by security cameras of a nearby establishment.

Seriously injured, the young man tried to flee. But he was caught by the man who shot him several more times before fleeing in a car that the police found shortly afterwards. The police managed to apprehend the shooter, who has been detained, pending the conclusions of the investigation.

According to sources, Hamko, considered dangerous by the Swedish police, had arrived in Spain only a few days earlier, after serving a prison sentence for attempted murder on a 14-year-old boy in 2020 in Stockholm. The rapper was a close friend and collaborator of Einar, an urban music star who had been shot dead in 2021 at the age of 19. Both had also shared the stage with Jang Jallow, known as "Mariaci", who was also murdered in 2022. These three rappers had grown up together in the Dalen neighborhood, south of Stockholm, known as a base for gangs.