A court has been informed that a teenager from Norway was enlisted by a criminal group in Sweden, associated with the Iranian regime, to commit a murder in England. Johannes Kongsnes Natland, aged 19, traveled to the UK allegedly with the intention of carrying out an assassination in exchange for payment, although he claimed to airport officials that he had come to sightsee. The group he was purportedly working for is known as Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal organization with ties to the Iranian regime.
Natland flew from Norway to Manchester Airport on March 18 but was apprehended in a hotel room in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, two days later. Upon his arrest, authorities found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and 12 rounds of ammunition in his possession. The prosecutor stated that Natland had agreed to participate in the criminal act in exchange for financial compensation.
The court heard that an individual, identified as Agent 47, contacted a person using the username Generalen to request someone to carry out the assassination in the UK, with 25,000 euros in payment. Natland was contacted by a user named UnknownHustler on March 15 to inform him of the job. Prior to his departure, Natland messaged his girlfriend indicating that he was embarking on a risky mission.
The court also heard communication between Generalen and Agent 47 referring to Natland as “the assassin for EU.” Upon his arrival in the UK, Natland was questioned by Border Force officers due to concerns about his age and financial situation. Despite claiming to be visiting friends and landmarks, he was later found in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Specialist officers arrested Natland at a hotel in Huddersfield on March 19, where he allegedly made a gesture imitating holding a firearm. The prosecutor disclosed that the Foxtrot Network, based in Sweden but with leadership residing elsewhere, often recruits young individuals with no direct connection to the crimes they commit, facilitated by social media. The group operates through various levels of organization, including instigators like Agent 47, recruiters like Generalen, and enforcers at the lower end of the hierarchy.
Natland has denied the charge of conspiracy to commit murder, and the trial at the Old Bailey is ongoing.