Ellen Kongsnes, a mother from Stavanger, Norway, has shared the harrowing experience of her son Johannes Natland being recruited as a hitman by a Swedish criminal gang. Natland, then 18, left home on March 17 last year telling his mother he was going to play football, only to be arrested the following day in a hotel room in Huddersfield, England.
Police found Natland with two guns, ammunition, and approximately £2,000 in cash. Authorities stated he had traveled to England to carry out a killing. Over a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, it was revealed that Natland had been recruited online by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group, for a fee of £21,000.
Johannes Natland waved goodbye to his mother, Ellen Kongsnes, as he left his large family home in Stavanger, south-west Norway, on March 17 last year. Pictured: The pair on a family trip to the Bernabeu, the stadium of Real Madrid, Johannes's favourite football team
Natland had been in regular contact with a senior member of the Foxtrot Network, known as 'Agent 47,' who provided instructions for the mission. The Foxtrot Network is led by Rawa Majid, who reportedly struck a deal with Iran to target the state's enemies abroad. Last Wednesday, Natland was convicted of conspiracy to murder.
Kongsnes, an experienced journalist herself, described her disbelief upon learning of her son's involvement. She stated that Natland had struggled with mental health issues during the pandemic, dropping out of school and using cannabis. He had also spent time in a psychiatric unit and a care home. Kongsnes believes her son was groomed and trafficked, emphasizing that no child is safe from online criminal recruitment.
It emerged during the trial that Natland had received a message referring to a "japping" – Swedish slang for murder – in England for a significant sum. He was subsequently added to a group chat with recruiters. On March 17, he traveled to Manchester with an emergency passport and little cash, eventually making his way to Huddersfield where the weapons were stashed. Norwegian police had intercepted communications related to a "mission in Europe" and arrested a recruiter known as 'Generalen' at Oslo airport two days prior. Additionally, a teacher and a classmate of Natland contacted police after he reportedly boasted about being involved with the "Foxes," referring to the Foxtrot network, and stated, "I am going to get a lot of money, someone is going to die."
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Johannes admitted possession of firearms but denied conspiracy to murder, claiming he planned to sabotage the mission by injuring himself. His mother maintains he would never have harmed anyone, stating he had never seen a weapon before. The Foxtrot Network is known for exploiting vulnerable young people, with assignments like arson, murder, and bombings advertised in online chat groups. Natland was one of three teenagers from Stavanger involved in the plot. 'Generalen,' a 17-year-old recruiter, was convicted in Norway for his role in orchestrating murders in Sweden and accessory to murder in Huddersfield.
Text messages presented in court showed Natland boasting about his mission, telling his girlfriend he could "finally kill someone and it's perfect. I get money to do it." He sent her a picture of himself holding a pistol, stating, "Soon it will happen." The court also heard evidence of domestic abuse, with Natland admitting to strangling and hitting his girlfriend, who provided details and evidence of bruises to the police.
The Natland family has incurred substantial costs visiting Johannes in prisons in London. Kongsnes hopes for his transfer back to Norway, citing the differing prison conditions. She remains steadfast in her support, believing her son was suffering from mental illness when he was contacted by criminals and that the family will continue to stand by him.