Norwegian teenager sentenced to 20 years for murder plot in Britain

Johannes Natland, a 19-year-old Norwegian national, was sentenced to 20 years in detention at London’s Woolwich Crown Court on Friday for his role in a conspiracy to commit murder. Natland was arrested in March 2025 at a hotel in Huddersfield, England, while in possession of a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and ammunition.

Prosecutors established that Natland had been recruited online by the Swedish organized crime group known as the Foxtrot Network to perform a contract killing for approximately 270,000 Norwegian kroner (roughly $28,600). Although Natland admitted to firearms offenses, he initially denied the conspiracy to murder charge, claiming he did not intend to carry out the act despite evidence suggesting otherwise. He was convicted by a jury in July following a retrial.

British authorities report that the Foxtrot Network operates as a "violence as a service" provider, allegedly acting as a proxy for the Iranian state to target individuals across Europe, including Jewish and Israeli targets. Iran has denied these allegations. This case is part of a growing trend in the UK where foreign-recruited young adults are utilized for serious criminal activities on behalf of state actors.

Natland remains in custody following the sentencing, as British officials continue to investigate the involvement of transnational criminal networks in politically motivated violence.