A Swedish rapper with alleged links to Stockholm’s criminal underworld has been named as the victim of Friday’s fatal shooting in Marbella.
Hamza Karimi, 25, known artistically as Hamko, was shot multiple times just after 2.30pm on Friday while walking in Puerto Banus.
According to police, Karimi was on the phone when a 38-year-old man approached him, drew a firearm from behind his back and opened fire at close range.
CCTV footage from a nearby cafe captured the entire attack, showing the rapper trying to flee towards a restaurant as the gunman continued to shoot.
The suspect later escaped in a waiting vehicle, but the car was quickly identified through surveillance cameras, leading to his arrest a short time later.
Karimi was rushed to hospital but died soon after from his injuries.
Swedish media, including public broadcaster SVT, report that the rapper had recently served a prison sentence for attempted murder over the 2020 shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Stockholm.
He was also said to have close ties to several organised crime groups operating in the Swedish capital.
Hamko was a known figure on Sweden’s rap scene and had previously collaborated with award-winning artist Einar, who himself was shot dead in Stockholm’s Hammarby district in 2021.
Spanish police are investigating whether the Puerto Banus killing is linked to ongoing feuds between Swedish gangs that have expanded their operations to Spain’s Costa del Sol – a region long associated with Scandinavian organised crime networks.
