A Norwegian teenager has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after traveling to Britain to carry out a contract killing for an international organized crime group linked to Iran.
19-year-old Johannes Kongsnes Natland was convicted last July of conspiracy to murder after agreeing to shoot a target in exchange for 25,000 euros. He was arrested at a hotel in Huddersfield, England, two days after entering the United Kingdom, with two firearms and ammunition in his possession. Natland admitted to possessing the weapons but claimed he did not intend to go through with the killing.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Natland was working part-time at a pizza restaurant when he was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group. He was reportedly recruited while playing an online game.
British authorities have linked the group to the Iranian regime. The UK sanctioned the group last year “due to their involvement in violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.”
Natland was recruited by a 17-year-old known as “Generalen,” a Norwegian teenager who was convicted last year of attempting to contribute to murder and sentenced to 14 years in custody.
Natland was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for his role in the assassination plot.
“You agreed to be the enforcer and pursued it, despite numerous opportunities to extricate yourself,” said Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb at the sentencing hearing. “Although the fact that no one was shot dead or physically harmed is important, I am sure had the intervention of the police not prevented the plan from proceeding, you would have done what you had agreed to.”
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, praised British police for doing “exceptional work” while coordinating with Norway to arrest Natland before his planned killing was set to take place.
“Natland was clearly being tasked by someone in the Foxtrot Network, an organized criminal group sanctioned by the U.K. and the U.S. due to its involvement in orchestrating violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime,” she said.
19-year-old Johannes Kongsnes Natland was convicted last July of conspiracy to murder after agreeing to shoot a target in exchange for 25,000 euros. He was arrested at a hotel in Huddersfield, England, two days after entering the United Kingdom, with two firearms and ammunition in his possession. Natland admitted to possessing the weapons but claimed he did not intend to go through with the killing.
According to a report by the Associated Press, Natland was working part-time at a pizza restaurant when he was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group. He was reportedly recruited while playing an online game.
British authorities have linked the group to the Iranian regime. The UK sanctioned the group last year “due to their involvement in violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.”
Natland was recruited by a 17-year-old known as “Generalen,” a Norwegian teenager who was convicted last year of attempting to contribute to murder and sentenced to 14 years in custody.
Natland was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison for his role in the assassination plot.
“You agreed to be the enforcer and pursued it, despite numerous opportunities to extricate yourself,” said Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb at the sentencing hearing. “Although the fact that no one was shot dead or physically harmed is important, I am sure had the intervention of the police not prevented the plan from proceeding, you would have done what you had agreed to.”
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, praised British police for doing “exceptional work” while coordinating with Norway to arrest Natland before his planned killing was set to take place.
“Natland was clearly being tasked by someone in the Foxtrot Network, an organized criminal group sanctioned by the U.K. and the U.S. due to its involvement in orchestrating violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime,” she said.
