Christian Birk and Jens Beck Nielsen, investigative journalists at Berlingske, have received the Publicist Club’s documentary award for their series “Criminal Clans” which exposes criminal extended families in Danish cities. The award was presented on Tuesday evening, recognizing the impact and depth of their investigative work.

The “Criminal Clans” series has revealed the significant power wielded by multi-criminal families and highlighted a gap in the understanding of organized crime within Denmark. Their investigation started with a confidential document from Østjyllands Politi to Aarhus Municipality, which detailed suspicions of nearly 5,000 law violations by members of four criminal families.

Police records indicated that 227 charges were filed against 26 minor members of these families. The journalists uncovered the involvement of prominent families and criminals in illegitimate mediations within Aarhus’ vulnerable residential areas. Furthermore, police documents identified 15 criminal clans operating in southeastern Denmark, with ten originating from Eastern Europe, primarily the Balkans, and the remainder from the Middle East.

The series highlighted examples such as a clan leader known as “The Fist,” who patrolled Aarhus in camouflage on a white horse, illustrating the control exerted over vulnerable areas through criminal and religious influence. The investigation expanded to Odense, revealing clan intermarriages to consolidate power and exploitation of vulnerable Danes for criminal activities.

Politicians had been alerted to these problems as early as 2018, according to documents and central sources revealed by Berlingske in March. Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard advocated for treating criminal clans as organized gangs to enable stricter punishments.

The National Police’s mapping of criminal families, released in early May 2025, identified 35 criminal families nationwide, comprising 119 family members involved in serious or organized crime. Berlingske previously won the Documentary Award last year for “Dead Water,” a series about oxygen depletion in Danish waters. TV 2 and DR were also nominated for their respective documentaries.