Norwegian teen found guilty of travelling to UK to carry out a hit for Iran-backed gang
A Norwegian teenager has been convicted of conspiracy to murder after travelling to the UK to carry out a contract killing on behalf of the Sweden-based Foxtrot Network, one of Europe's most notorious organised crime groups.
Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was found guilty by an Old Bailey jury following a retrial and now faces a mandatory life sentence. Jurors deliberated for more than 17 hours before returning their verdict.
Prosecutors said Natland travelled from Stavanger, Norway, to Manchester in March last year after agreeing to carry out the killing for £21,600. Investigators said he did not know the intended victim or the motive for the murder but accepted the assignment to impress his girlfriend and earn money.
The court heard that Natland had been recruited by a 17-year-old associate known as "Generalen", who was later convicted in Norway for his role in gang-related murders and for facilitating the planned killing in England. Prosecutors said the teenager was acting on behalf of the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal organisation linked to multiple murders across Scandinavia.
Evidence presented during the trial showed Natland remained committed to the plan even after learning that his recruiter had been arrested while he was en route to the UK. Under instructions from an English-speaking handler known only as "Agent 47", he travelled to Huddersfield after arriving at Manchester Airport, where he collected two firearms, ammunition, £2,000 in cash and a stolen vehicle allegedly intended for use in the attack.
Armed officers arrested Natland at a hotel in Huddersfield before the planned shooting could take place. Police recovered a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 12 rounds of live ammunition, gloves and cash from his hotel room.
During the trial, prosecutors relied on messages sent by Natland before his arrest, including communications in which he allegedly told his girlfriend he was "going on a crazy mission" and suggested he would be paid to kill someone.
Natland admitted possessing the firearms and ammunition but denied conspiracy to murder. He told the court he initially believed the plan was a scam before becoming trapped by the criminal network. He claimed he intended to shoot himself in the foot to avoid carrying out the killing, saying he feared being murdered by gang members if he backed out.
The prosecution rejected his account, arguing that Natland repeatedly lied during the investigation and only raised claims of fear during his trial. Prosecutor Alistair Richardson described him as "a troubled but dangerous young man" who had agreed to kill for money in a foreign country. The court also heard that Natland attempted to persuade his girlfriend not to testify while making telephone calls from prison.
The identity and whereabouts of the alleged handler known as "Agent 47" remain unknown, while Norwegian authorities continue investigations involving other suspects linked to the plot. Natland is due to be sentenced at a later date and faces life imprisonment for the conspiracy to murder conviction.
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