Norwegian Teen ‘Hitman’ Jailed for 20 Years Over UK Murder Plot

A 19-year-old Norwegian man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after travelling to the United Kingdom to carry out a contract killing for an international organised crime group, in a plot foiled by police before anyone was harmed.

Johannes Kongsnes Natland was sentenced on Friday, October 16, at Woolwich Crown Court in London after being convicted of conspiracy to murder in July. He must serve at least 13 years in custody, according to the Metropolitan Police.

Natland had agreed to shoot an unidentified target in exchange for €25,000, equivalent to about £21,500. He travelled from Stavanger, Norway, to Manchester Airport on March 17, 2025, and was arrested two days later at a hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Police recovered a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 12 rounds of live ammunition, gloves and £2,000 in cash. Investigators said he had also been directed to a stolen vehicle with false number plates that was intended for use in the planned killing. The intended victim has never been identified.

Prosecutors said Natland was recruited by a Swedish organised crime group known as the Foxtrot Network. He was allegedly directed by an English-speaking contact using the name “Agent 47”, while a 17-year-old recruiter known as “Generalen” was also involved in the conspiracy.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, messages recovered from Natland’s phone, CCTV footage and witness testimony helped establish the case against him. He had told his girlfriend that he was going on a “crazy mission” before travelling to Britain and sent messages after collecting the weapons.

Natland admitted possessing the firearms and ammunition but argued that he had not genuinely intended to complete the killing. The court rejected his account. During sentencing, the judge said he had pursued the plan despite opportunities to withdraw and would likely have carried it out had police not intervened.

His defence lawyer highlighted his age at the time of the offence and said drug addiction had contributed to his decline from a promising student and footballer. The defence also argued that he no longer posed the same risk.

The Foxtrot Network has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom and the United States over its alleged involvement in violent activities targeting Jewish and Israeli interests in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime. However, British counterterrorism police have said they found no evidence of a direct link to Iran in this specific assassination plot.

The case has raised concerns about organised criminal groups recruiting young people online and using them to carry out serious violence across national borders. Natland’s arrest followed cooperation between British and Norwegian law enforcement agencies.

Authorities have also pursued other individuals linked to the wider investigation, while the identity and whereabouts of the person known as “Agent 47” remain unknown.