Ellen Kongsnes, a journalist from Stavanger, Norway, described the harrowing experience of her son, Johannes Natland, being recruited by a criminal gang to carry out a murder in England. Natland, then 18, left home on March 17 of last year telling his mother he was going to play football. He was arrested the following day in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, by police who found him with two guns, 12 rounds of ammunition, and £2,000 in cash.
During 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 with ties to Iran, to carry out a hit for a fee of £21,000. Natland, now 19, was convicted of conspiracy to murder. His mother stated that he had been struggling with mental health issues during the pandemic, dropping out of school and using cannabis. Court proceedings revealed he had also experimented with other drugs and experienced a mental health crisis at 17, leading to psychiatric treatment.
Kongsnes believes her son is a victim of grooming and human trafficking, emphasizing that he was in a vulnerable state and in and out of psychiatric care and a children's care home. He was contacted by a teenage acquaintance who mentioned a "japping"—Swedish slang for murder—in England for a substantial sum. Shortly after, Natland was added to a group chat with a recruiter known as 'Generalen' and a senior Foxtrot recruiter identified as 'Agent 47,' whose real name is Ali Shehab. Instructions for the hit were allegedly sent by Shehab.
Natland traveled to Manchester with an emergency passport, carrying minimal cash and possessions. He later traveled to Huddersfield, where the weapons and cash were stashed. Norwegian authorities had intercepted communications about a "mission in Europe" and arrested 'Generalen' at Oslo airport. A teacher and classmate of Natland also contacted police after he boasted about being involved with "the Foxes," an apparent reference to the Foxtrot Network, and stated, "I am going to get a lot of money, someone is going to die."
Natland admitted possession of firearms but denied conspiracy to murder, claiming he intended to sabotage the mission by injuring himself. His mother maintains he is incapable of violence. The Foxtrot Network, led by Rawa Majid, is known for its involvement in drug trafficking and infighting, which allegedly led Majid to seek protection in Iran, where he is said to have made a deal to target enemies of the regime. The group has been linked to attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe and has been noted for exploiting vulnerable young people, sometimes as young as 13, for criminal activities.
Text messages presented in court showed Natland boasting about his mission to friends and his girlfriend, stating, "Now I can finally kill someone and it's perfect. I get money to do it." He also sent a picture of himself holding a pistol, with the message, "Soon it will happen." The court also heard recordings of Natland admitting to strangling his girlfriend, an accusation she corroborated with details of physical abuse.
The Natland family has incurred significant expenses visiting Johannes in prison in London, with Kongsnes expressing concern for his safety and well-being in the UK penal system. She continues to support her son, who she believes was suffering from mental illness when he was drawn into the criminal plot.