A teenage Norwegian national has been convicted of plotting to carry out a murder in the United Kingdom on behalf of an Iran-backed gang. Johannes Natland, who was 18 at the time of his arrest, traveled from Stavanger, Norway, to Britain with the intention of assassinating a target in exchange for approximately £21,000.
Natland was apprehended in a hotel room in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, on March 19 of last year, two days after arriving in the UK. Authorities discovered a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and 12 rounds of ammunition in his possession, along with £2,000 in cash. The prosecution described Natland as a "dangerous young man" who agreed to act as an assassin for money without knowing or caring about the identity of his target.
The murder plot was reportedly orchestrated by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group with alleged ties to the Iranian regime. The group's leader, Rawa Majid, known as the "Kurdish Fox," is believed to have made an arrangement with Tehran to use his drug-smuggling network for operations against enemies of the regime. In April of last year, the UK sanctioned Majid and the Foxtrot Network for their involvement in violent acts targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals in Europe. One such incident involved a 13-year-old who fired shots outside the offices of the Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems in Gothenburg.
Natland's involvement began when he received a message on the Signal app regarding a "murder in England" from a user identified as "Unknown Hustler." He was subsequently added to a group chat that included a Norwegian recruiter and a figure known as "Agent 47," believed to be associated with Foxtrot, who issued the assassination order. Natland, now 19, flew from Stavanger to Manchester on March 17. Although initially questioned by Border Force officials and refused entry, he was permitted to return to Norway four days later, allowing him to re-enter the country.
Upon his arrival, Natland traveled by taxi to a hotel in Manchester. The following day, he was directed by his recruiters to a wooded area in Huddersfield to retrieve the firearms and ammunition. After checking into a hotel in the vicinity, he sent a message to his girlfriend stating, "In the bag is bang." Later that evening, a friend inquired if he had completed the task, to which Natland replied, "No. tomorrow."
Firearms officers arrested Natland in his hotel room on March 19 at 5:15 a.m. He reportedly surrendered with his hands up, mimicking holding a firearm and pretending to shoot an officer. Natland admitted to possessing the firearms but denied the conspiracy to murder charge. During his testimony, he claimed to be "terrified" and stated his intention to sabotage the plot by shooting himself in the foot, fearing retaliation from the Foxtrot Network if he backed out earlier. The prosecution, however, argued that this was a fabrication, pointing to evidence that Natland had boasted about the mission to friends and told his then-girlfriend that "it will be a bit cool to really kill someone" and that they would celebrate if he was not caught.
Natland told the court that he agreed to the assignment because he "wanted some money" and intended to purchase drugs. He initially suspected the offer might be a scam but realized its reality as the date approached, admitting he found himself in a difficult situation and had made "a lot of bad choices." He was a talented student and footballer before developing a drug dependency that included cannabis, LSD, and cocaine.
Natland was convicted following a retrial, as the initial jury could not reach a verdict. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. The identity of the intended target remains undisclosed.