Norwegian Teen Gets 20 Years for Plotting Iranian Hit
A 19-year-old Norwegian teen sentenced to 20 years for planning an Iranian-linked contract killing in the UK.
2 min read
A 19-year-old Norwegian teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempting to carry out a contract killing on behalf of an international crime gang linked to Iran, according to a recent court ruling in London.
Conviction and Arrest
Johannes Kongsnes Natland was found guilty in July of conspiracy to murder for agreeing to shoot an unknown target for 25,000 euros. He was arrested at a hotel in Huddersfield, northern England, with two guns and ammunition just days after arriving in the UK. Natland admitted to possessing the firearms but claimed he did not want to proceed with the plan.
Recruitment and Connection to Iran
Natland was recruited by a Swedish organized crime group known as the Foxtrot Network while playing an online game. The group has links to the Iranian government, according to counterterrorism officers from the Metropolitan Police. The UK government has sanctioned the Foxtrot Network and its leader for their involvement in orchestrating violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe.
Sentence and Legal Context
Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb emphasized that although no one was harmed, Natland was clearly tasked by someone in the Foxtrot Network. The judge noted that if not for police intervention, the plan would have proceeded. Natland, who was working part-time at a pizza restaurant at the time, had been hired by a 17-year-old known as “Generalen.”
International Cooperation
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, credited the “exceptional work” of British police working with Norwegian counterparts for Natland’s arrest hours before he was due to carry out an assassination. The Foxtrot Network is sanctioned by the UK and the U.S. due to its involvement in orchestrating violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.
Broader Implications
The UK government announced sanctions against the Foxtrot Network and its leader last year, including an asset freeze that bars UK businesses from handling funds or other economic assets controlled by the organization. The case highlights the growing threat of international organized crime linked to state actors and the importance of cross-border cooperation in counterterrorism efforts.
Source: Breitbart
