Norwegian teen convicted in UK murder plot

A Norwegian teenager who traveled to England with two working guns and live ammunition has been found guilty of plotting to carry out a paid killing for a Swedish organized crime group sanctioned over links to Iran.

Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was convicted of conspiracy to murder after a trial at London’s Old Bailey. He had already pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition. London’s Metropolitan Police said the case followed an investigation by British counterterrorism officers, and the BBC reported the verdict came after a retrial, with jurors deliberating for just over 17 hours.

Natland was 18 when he flew from Stavanger, Norway, to Manchester Airport on March 17, 2025, using an emergency passport. Prosecutors said he was recruited to kill an unknown target in England on behalf of the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group described in court as backed by the Iranian regime. The group and its leader, Rawa Majid, are under U.K. and U.S. sanctions.

Police arrested Natland at the Briar Court Hotel in Huddersfield at 5:15 a.m. on March 19. Officers found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and 19 rounds of live ammunition in a plastic bag under his bed. Bodycam footage released by police showed Natland emerging topless from his hotel room and miming a shooting gesture toward a firearms officer before being pushed against a wall and handcuffed.

“This was a calculated plan to kill for money,” said Frank Ferguson, head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division at the Crown Prosecution Service. “Johannes Natland was just 18 when he travelled to the UK, having agreed to carry out a murder on behalf of others for financial gain.”

The target of the alleged assassination remains unknown. Police said “a significant amount of evidence” showed Natland knew he was being asked to kill someone, and the investigation is ongoing.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, the Foxtrot Network is involved in drug smuggling and violent crime, with cross-border assignments advertised in group chats on Snapchat, Telegram and Signal. The BBC reported the group is known for pioneering the hiring of teenage killers, a phenomenon Europol calls “violence-as-a-service.”

Messages shown in court indicated Natland was offered 270,000 Norwegian kroner, about £21,000, for a “Killing in England.” CBS News reported a $28,000 payment was also floated. One user, “Agent 47,” described the location as “Great Britain. As easy as can be.” Natland told his girlfriend he was “going on a crazy mission” and said he was going to kill someone.

After arriving in Britain, Natland was questioned by Border Force officers who were suspicious of his emergency passport, lack of money, hotel booking and return ticket. The BBC reported he was refused entry but allowed to remain temporarily because the next flight to Stavanger was not for three days.

Messages then guided him to Huddersfield, where he collected cash and later picked up the guns from woodland. He sent images of the weapons to friends and messaged his girlfriend: “in the bag is bang.” When one friend asked whether he had “tested the weapons,” Natland replied: “Hell no. They will be tested on the guy.”

In court, Natland claimed he intended to shoot himself in the foot to avoid carrying out the attack, saying he had found himself in “a major pickle.” Prosecutors rejected that account.

Norwegian police helped stop the plot after arresting a 17-year-old recruiter known online as “Generalen” and finding messages about a planned assassination in England. The CPS said that teenager was sentenced to 14 years in Norway for his role in recruiting Natland, while another 16-year-old is awaiting trial.

“Thanks to swift and coordinated police work, this plot was stopped before anyone was harmed,” Ferguson said.

Natland was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced in October.