Teenage Norwegian 'hitman' guilty of UK assassination plot
A teenager who travelled from Norway to the UK to carry out an assassination for a Swedish organised crime group has been found guilty of
A teenager who travelled from Norway to the UK to carry out an assassination for a Swedish organised crime group has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder. An Old Bailey jury heard how Johannes Natland, 19, was arrested in a hotel room in Huddersfield with two working guns and 19 rounds of live ammunition in March 2025. He pleaded guilty to possession of the firearms and ammunition but had denied the conspiracy charge.
Following a retrial, Natland showed no emotion as the jury brought in a unanimous guilty verdict after deliberating for just over 17 hours. During the trial opening, prosecutor Alistair Richardson said the teen was "recruited" by the Foxtrot Network, which was described as a Swedish organised crime group backed by the Iranian regime. Natland had claimed rather than carry out the attack, he had planned to shoot himself in the foot, telling jurors he had found himself in "a major pickle".
The court heard how the Foxtrot Network had been sanctioned by both the UK and the US for its close links to the Iranian government. The group is infamous for pioneering the relatively new phenomenon of hiring teenage killers. Natland flew into Manchester Airport on an emergency passport on 17 March and was guided by videos on the messaging app Signal to Huddersfield, where the guns, a stolen car and a stash of cash were hidden.
He was only prevented from carrying out the hit because Norwegian police arrested the teenager who had recruited him, and found messages about the UK plot in the Signal app on his phone. Jane Hill presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Daniel Sandford. For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #BBCNews
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