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Norwegian teenager travelled to the UK to carry out an execution for an Iran-backed gang

Norwegian teenager travelled to the UK to carry out an execution for an Iran-backed gang

A Norwegian teenager has been convicted of travelling to Britain to carry out a contract killing on behalf of the Foxtrot criminal network, a Swedish gang linked by prosecutors to the Iranian regime. Nineteen-year-old Johannes Kongsnes Natland flew from Norway in March 2025 after allegedly accepting an offer of €25,000 to murder an unidentified target. Acting under instructions from handlers using encrypted messaging apps, he collected cash, firearms, ammunition, and a stolen vehicle before armed police arrested him at a hotel in Huddersfield. Natland admitted possessing the weapons but claimed he never intended to carry out the shooting, telling the court he planned to injure himself to escape the criminal gang. The jury rejected his account and found him guilty of conspiracy to murder. Prosecutors said the case exposed how international organised crime groups exploit vulnerable young people to carry out serious violence across national borders. Police continue to investigate others involved, while the identity of the organiser known as “Agent 47” remains unknown.