Violent Swedish gangs are filtering into several sunny European tourist destinations, killing people in broad daylight.
Gangsters from Nordic countries, as well as the UK and Turkey, are working their way around the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca, creating a terrifying "criminal ecosystem".
Teenage hitmen as young as 15 are being flown to the holiday hotspots, as crime bosses take advantage of their rivals "letting their guard down" while abroad.
Police discovered one 15-year-old Swedish national living in Alicante was "ordering murderers like someone orders a pizza".
Teenagers have been luring other youngsters to carry out brutal executions by using false identities on Telegram and Signal.
Hamza Karimi, 25, was shot and killed in front of horrified holidaymakers while relaxing in Marbella's Puerto Banus earlier this month.
The Swedish "gangsta rap" artist was talking on the phone outside a cafe when a suspected hitman calmly strolled up and pulled out a loaded gun.
The shooter, an Afghan-born Swede, fired up to a dozen rounds, with CCTV showing Mr Karimi rolling on the floor trying to dodge the bullets.
Gangsters have been flocking to the Costa Del Sol
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He was rushed to hospital but passed away from his injuries.
His death is part of a series of killings across the holiday hotspots this year.
Spokeswoman for the Reformist Police Union, Marilo Valencia, said: "Many of the gangsters come here, some to work, others simply to enjoy themselves.
"But when their enemies lower their guard, when they relax, the hitmen strike."
Miss Valencia described it as a "criminal ecosystem", where each network has its own role.
She said: "They complement each other, they're part of an ecosystem of crime.
"The criminals know our situation. They know we don't clock off. We're police officers 24 hours a day. But we need more manpower; the pressure never stops."
One investigator into the situation said: "They live peacefully, even cordially, as long as no one tries to take over another's business.
There are warnings of a 'criminal ecosystem' emerging in the Costa Del Sol
| PA"They move in the same circles, the same bars. They're drawn together like magnets.
"Irishmen go to Irish bars, Scandinavians to theirs - they feel untouchable."
The Costa del Sol has been dubbed the "United Nations of crime" with more than 100 mafia groups believed to be operating there.
The area has become a key point for gangs to distribute both their marijuana and cocaine.
Head of the Judicial Police Brigade in Malaga, Pedro Agudo, explained earlier this year: "Even the bad guys like to live in the best parts of the country, and this is one of them. I'm from Galicia myself, and I even asked to be posted to the Costa del Sol. It must be the quality of life."