A teenager who travelled from Norway to the UK as part of an assassination plot orchestrated by an international crime syndicate has been sentenced to 20 years in detention. Johannes Natland, 19, was convicted of conspiracy to murder following a retrial at Woolwich Crown Court.
UK counter-terrorism investigators revealed that Natland was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal organisation linked by authorities to the Iranian government. Flying into Manchester Airport in March 2025 using an emergency passport, the teenager was directed via the Signal messaging app to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where firearms, cash, and a stolen vehicle had been prepared for him.
Authorities intervened before Natland could locate his target. Norwegian police had previously arrested the individual who recruited him, uncovering encrypted messages detailing the UK operation on a mobile phone. This intelligence sparked a swift counter-terrorism response, leading to Natland's arrest at a Huddersfield hotel room.
During the raid at the Briar Court Hotel, officers discovered two working handguns and 19 rounds of live ammunition hidden under a bed. Body-worn material showed Natland miming a shooting gesture at officers before being restrained and handcuffed. While Natland admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition, investigators stated that the intended victim's identity remains unknown.
Law enforcement officials noted that the case highlights a growing international trend known as "violence-as-a-service," where criminal networks employ foreign youths to carry out contract killings at arm's length. Sentencing the teenager, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb emphasised the calculated nature of the recruitment method utilised by the Foxtrot Network.