Norwegian Teen Denies UK Murder Plot as Court Hears €25,000 Iran-Linked Foxtrot Hit Plan
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 3
Norwegian Teen Denies UK Murder Plot as Court Hears €25,000 Iran-Linked Foxtrot Hit Plan
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 3
Summary
Johannes Natland, 19, is on trial in the UK after prosecutors said he arrived in March 2025 to carry out a paid killing, while admitting possession of two firearms and 12 live rounds but denying conspiracy to murder.
€25,000 was "in the pot," jurors heard, after messages between accounts dubbed "Agent 47" and "Generalen" discussed urgently finding an assassin for "Great Britain" through the Foxtrot network, which prosecutors said is used by the Iranian regime.
Huddersfield became the alleged staging ground after Natland entered Britain on an emergency passport, checked into a hotel, collected guns and ammunition from a wooded stash, bought three pairs of rubber gloves and was directed to a stolen car.
Police arrested him in Room 207 at the Briar Court Hotel before the planned killing, prosecutors said, recovering a semi-automatic Luger pistol, a revolver, bullets and £2,000 in cash; the intended target remains unknown.
The case points to cross-border use of Scandinavian criminal networks for suspected contract violence in Britain, and the three-week trial is now testing whether Natland moved from preparation to an agreed murder plot.
Why did UK border agents admit a teenage hitman who had no money or return ticket?
How are Swedish super-gangs recruiting foreign teenagers online to become international hitmen?
What connects an Iranian-linked Swedish gang to a failed assassination attempt in the UK?
The Foxtrot Network and Iran: How State-Backed Organized Crime Threatens European Security (2024–2026)
Overview
In March 2025, Johannes Kongsnes Natland was arrested at Manchester Airport after arriving from Norway, suspected of involvement in a murder-for-hire plot. The investigation, led by Counter Terrorism Policing, revealed links to the Foxtrot Network, a criminal organization headed by Rawa Majid. Majid is accused of working directly with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence, allowing Tehran to use the network’s criminal skills while maintaining plausible deniability. This case highlights how Iranian state actors exploit organized crime for covert operations in Europe, making detection and prevention more difficult for law enforcement.