Teen 'Hitman' Recruited by Iran-Linked Group Sentenced in UK
A 19-year-old Norwegian national received a 20-year detention sentence for plotting a murder in the UK on behalf of a Swedish organized crime group with ties to the Iranian regime.
A Norwegian teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in detention for his role in a murder plot orchestrated by a Swedish organized crime group allegedly backed by the Iranian regime. Johannes Natland, 19, was arrested in March 2025 in a hotel room in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with two firearms and 19 rounds of ammunition, the Old Bailey previously heard.
During his retrial, a jury found Natland guilty of conspiracy to murder. He had previously admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition. He was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.
Natland was reportedly recruited by the Foxtrot Network, described as a Swedish organized crime group with links to the Iranian government. This network has been sanctioned by both the UK and the United States.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated that the identity of the intended victim remains unclear. The Foxtrot Network is known for employing young individuals for violent acts, a tactic Europol has termed "violence-as-a-service" (VaaS).
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb told Natland during sentencing that the Foxtrot Network utilizes an "arm's-length method" to recruit young people for violent crimes, and he was tasked with traveling to England to kill an unspecified target.