A Norwegian teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in prison in the United Kingdom for conspiring to commit murder on behalf of an Iran-backed criminal network. Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was convicted in July following a retrial at Woolwich Crown Court in southeast London.
Natland traveled from Stavanger, Norway, to the UK in March 2025 with the intention of killing an unknown target in exchange for approximately €25,000 (around £21,500 or $28,000). Two days after his arrival, he was arrested in a Huddersfield hotel room by armed police, who seized two firearms—a semi-automatic pistol and a revolver—along with 12 rounds of live ammunition and £2,000 in cash.
The plot was orchestrated by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group that London’s Metropolitan Police and the UK government have linked to Iran. The group has been sanctioned by both the UK and the United States for involvement in violent crimes against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe. The Foxtrot Network is known for recruiting young people, sometimes as young as 13, to carry out violent and drug-related criminal activities.
Natland was recruited online through encrypted messaging apps and gaming communities, entering contact with a senior Foxtrot operative known as “Agent 47,” a codename referencing the popular video game franchise. He was also connected to a teenage recruiter nicknamed “Generalen,” who was convicted in Norway in May 2025 of attempting to contribute to murder. Several other young individuals linked to the conspiracy are currently facing trial or police investigations in Norway and elsewhere.
During the trial, Natland admitted to possessing the weapons but denied intending to complete the contract killing, claiming he planned to shoot himself in the foot to avoid going through with the murder. However, the court found that he had multiple chances to abandon the plan but chose not to. Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said that although no one was physically harmed due to police intervention, she was confident Natland would have carried out the killing.
Prosecutors highlighted that Natland’s involvement was motivated in part by financial gain and a desire to impress his girlfriend. Messages presented in court showed a mixture of excitement and participation in the planned assassination. Testimonies revealed that prior to his involvement, Natland had been a promising student and amateur footballer from a financially stable family but became entangled in drug use and mental health struggles, which contributed to his vulnerability to recruitment.
Counter Terrorism Policing London described Natland’s role as clearly directed by the Foxtrot Network, which is believed to have secured deals with Iranian authorities to target the regime’s adversaries abroad. The identity of the intended victim remains unknown at this time.
Natland’s defense counsel stressed his youth and argued that he had changed since the offense, no longer posing a threat. Meanwhile, investigations continue into others connected to the case, with Norwegian police pursuing charges against additional suspects linked to the wider conspiracy.