A 19-year-old Norwegian has been sentenced to 20 years in detention after travelling to the United Kingdom to carry out a contract killing for an organised crime syndicate. Johannes Natland was arrested in a Huddersfield hotel room in March 2025 with two functional firearms and 19 rounds of ammunition, according to BBC News. He was unanimously convicted of conspiracy to murder following a retrial at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.
Natland had previously admitted to possessing the firearms and ammunition. During the retrial, jurors heard evidence that the teenager had been recruited by the Foxtrot Network, identified as a Swedish organised crime group with backing from the Iranian regime. The Foxtrot Network has faced sanctions from both the United Kingdom and the United States due to its documented connections to the Iranian government.
Who was the intended target?
The identity of Natland's intended victim has not been established. Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated:
We haven't been able to establish exactly who the intended victim was.The lack of clarity surrounding the target suggests the plot may have been disrupted before reaching an advanced stage of planning or execution.
What is the Foxtrot Network?
The Foxtrot Network operates as a transnational organised crime group with significant state backing. Its designation as a Swedish-based operation with Iranian regime support indicates the involvement of state-level actors in criminal activity. The group's international reach, demonstrated by its ability to recruit operatives from Scandinavia to conduct operations in the UK, underscores the cross-border nature of modern organised crime networks.
What happens next?
Natland will serve his 20-year sentence in the UK detention system. The case highlights ongoing concerns about the recruitment of young people from across Europe into organised crime operations and the security threat posed by state-backed criminal networks operating within British territory.
