A Norwegian teenager has been convicted in a London court of traveling to Britain to carry out a contract killing on behalf of an international crime gang linked to Iran.
Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder by a jury at the Central London Criminal Court after deliberating for more than 17 hours. Prosecutors stated that Natland agreed to shoot an unknown individual for 25,000 euros ($28,000) in March of the previous year. He was arrested two days after arriving in the United Kingdom at a hotel in Huddersfield, northern England, with two firearms and ammunition.
Counterterrorism officers from London’s Metropolitan Police Service reported that Natland was recruited by a Swedish organized crime group known as the Foxtrot Network. This network has been identified as having links to the Iranian government.
While the intended target of the murder plot was never identified, London counterterrorism officers gathered substantial evidence indicating Natland was fully aware he was being hired to commit a murder in the UK, according to a police statement.
Natland was reportedly hired by a 17-year-old identified as “Generalen.” In Norway, this teenager was convicted last year of attempting to “contribute to murder” and received a 14-year custodial sentence. A 16-year-old is currently awaiting trial in Norway for their involvement in the same conspiracy.
Last year, the U.K. government imposed sanctions on the Foxtrot Network and its leader, citing their involvement in violent acts against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe at the behest of the Iranian regime. These sanctions include an asset freeze, prohibiting U.K. businesses from dealing with funds or other economic assets controlled by the organization.