Norwegian teen 'hitman' Johannes Natland detained for UK murder plot
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Norwegian teen 'hitman' detained for UK murder plot
Image source:
COUNTER TERRORISM POLICING
Image caption:
Johannes Natland was found guilty of conspiracy to murder
By Daniel Sandford
UK correspondent
Published 16 October 2026, 11:57 BST
Updated 5 minutes ago
A 19-year-old Norwegian, Johannes Natland, who travelled to the UK to carry out a "hit" for an organised crime group, has been sentenced to 20 years' detention.
Natland was arrested in a Huddersfield hotel room in March 2025 with two loaded guns and 19 rounds of live ammunition, as reported by the Old Bailey.
During his retrial, a jury heard he was "recruited" by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organised crime group linked to the Iranian regime. Natland had admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition. He was unanimously found guilty of conspiracy to murder and sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.
The Foxtrot Network has been sanctioned by both the UK and the US for its association with the Iranian government, but Natland's target remains unclear.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated, "We haven't been able to establish exactly who the intended victim was."
The Network is renowned for its novel approach of employing teenage assassins, a phenomenon known as "violence-as-a-service" (VaaS) according to Europol.
At the sentencing, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb addressed Natland: "The Foxtrot Network is an organised crime group which has developed an arm's-length method of recruiting young people to carry out violent crimes."
She added, "You were recruited to travel to England to kill an unidentified target."