An 18-year-old Norwegian national has been convicted of conspiracy to murder after being apprehended in Huddersfield, England, with a pistol, ammunition, and cash, in what authorities believe was a mission orchestrated by an Iranian-backed Swedish criminal gang. Johannes Natland, now 19, was arrested in a hotel room on March 19 of last year, hours before he was allegedly scheduled to carry out a hit for a payment of approximately £21,000.
Natland's journey began on March 15, when he informed his girlfriend he was embarking on a "crazy mission." He told his mother he was going to play football but instead flew to Manchester. In England, he reportedly acquired a 9mm Luger pistol, a revolver, 12 rounds of live ammunition, and £2,000 in cash.
Investigators believe Natland was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a prominent criminal organization in Scandinavia. Swedish journalist Diamant Salihu identified Ali Shehab, 22, also known as "Agent 47," as a senior Foxtrot recruiter and close associate of the gang's leader, Rawa Majid. Shehab is alleged to have connections to Iran, with the gang reportedly striking a deal to target the state's adversaries abroad.
Natland, who comes from a middle-class background in Stavanger, Norway, and was described as a bright student and talented footballer, reportedly became involved with drugs at a young age. At 17, he experienced psychological distress and spent time in a psychiatric unit and a children's care home. It was there he allegedly received a message from another teenager, using the online alias 'Unknown Hustler,' referencing a murder in England for a bounty. This led to Natland being added to a group chat that included a recruiter known as 'Generalen' and Shehab.
During his trial, Natland admitted to possessing firearms but denied conspiracy to murder, claiming he intended to sabotage the mission by shooting himself in the foot. He stated he boasted about the situation to appear 'cool' but feared retaliation from the Foxtrot Network if he backed out. Prosecutors argued that Natland fit the profile of vulnerable teenagers targeted for recruitment by the gang.
Norwegian police had intercepted communications on March 15 discussing a "mission in Europe," and two days later, "Generalen," identified as a 17-year-old, was arrested in Oslo in connection with another plot. Around the same time, Natland's teacher and a classmate alerted authorities after he allegedly boasted about his involvement with "the Foxes," a supposed reference to the Foxtrot network, and stated, "I am going to get a lot of money, someone is going to die."
Norwegian investigators traced Natland to Huddersfield, where he was arrested by armed police on March 19. He was reportedly directed to a stash of weapons, ammunition, and cash in a wooded area before checking into a hotel. He sent his girlfriend a picture of himself holding a pistol, with the message, "Soon it will happen."
The Foxtrot Network is known for its strict hierarchy, with "instigators" financing and ordering crimes, recruiters managing operations, and teenagers acting as "enforcers." Targets are reportedly revealed to the enforcers only at the last moment. It remains unknown who Natland's intended victim was. The case is believed to be the Foxtrot Network's first operation on UK soil and highlights concerns about Iranian proxy gangs conducting operations across Europe.
Ali Shehab was reportedly arrested in Iraq in December in connection with assassination missions and is suspected of involvement in numerous murders and attempted murders. The 17-year-old "Generalen" was convicted in Norway for his role in plots in Sweden, Norway, and Natland's case in Huddersfield.