Police look to Al Capone for help against gangs

A wave of gang-related shootings over the past year has law enforcement, social welfare and tax officials ready to dig into members' financial records to see whether they can use financial crimes as a way to get the organisations' kingpins off the street.

Nicknamed the Al Capone-method after the US gangster of the same name who was jailed on tax evasion charges in the 1930s, the strategy will open the books on 950 members of motorcycle and immigrant gangs to determine if suspected criminals are living a life of luxury while collecting public assistance.

'If you see someone driving around in a car that isn't his own, we're going to find out who owns it and then ask how he can afford it and why someone else was driving it,' said Henning Schmidt, head of the Copenhagen Police financial crimes unit.

This is the third time law enforcement officials have sought to combat gang violence indirectly by sniping at members for financial crimes. The first probe, in 2002, wound up netting 30 million kroner in unpaid taxes. A 2005 investigation involving 561 members brought in another reported 30 million kroner.

Chief Inspector Jørgen Isalin of the National Centre for Investigation said difficulties prosecuting gang members for violent crimes or on drugs charges meant an indirect approach was necessary.

'What we are looking to do is make it hard to be a criminal by constantly chasing after the things they buy with their dirty money,' he said.

As part of the preparations for the investigations, police say they have developed a consumption profile of the leading members of immigrant gangs. During a meeting later this month, they will meet with tax and social welfare officials to determine their next step.

'This is going to take a long time,' said Ole Madsen, of the Eastern Jutland Police, 'but whatever we can do to fight them will help.'

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