Norwegian Teenager Guilty of UK Contract Killing: Did He Really Think the International Crime Gang Was a Scam?

On Wednesday, 29 July, Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was found guilty of conspiracy to murder after travelling to England to carry out a killing ordered by an international crime gang linked to Iran.

Natland claimed he never intended to carry out the assassination, believing the offer was a joke or some sort of scam, jurors heard.

He said he planned to shoot himself in the foot to avoid killing his target.

However, prosecutors said the evidence presented at trial showed otherwise.

Authorities confirmed the intended victim was not harmed after counter-terrorism officers arrested the 19-year-old at a hotel in Huddersfield two days after he arrived in England.

Two firearms and 19 rounds of ammunition were seized from his room, bringing the alleged murder plot to an end.

Natland's Testimony

The organisation behind the alleged plot was the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal gang with alleged links to the Iranian government.

Prosecutors said the group offered Natland €25,000 (£21,500) in March last year to shoot an unidentified person, which he accepted.

Natland told the court he did not believe the assassination offer was genuine and accepted it only to fund his drug use.

He continued to claim that, when he realised he was in a 'pickle,' he planned to shoot himself in the foot to avoid carrying out the killing.

However, investigators said they had 'uncovered a significant amount of evidence' showing that Natland knew he had been asked to assassinate someone on UK soil.

How the Fake Claims Were Disputed

Investigators recovered messages that Natland allegedly sent to his girlfriend after accepting the assignment, saying he was going on a 'crazy mission' and that they should celebrate afterwards if he was not caught.

'It will be a bit cool to kill someone,' Natland also allegedly wrote.

One of the 19-year-old's friends also gave evidence during the trial, telling jurors that Natland had boasted he was 'going to get a lot of money and somebody is going to die.'

Natland disputed his friend's account, telling jurors he had merely been pretending and was secretly 'terrified.'

'I wasn't an international assassin. I thought people had this impression and expected me to be this guy. I knew I wasn't,' he told the court.

The Viral Arrest

Evidence presented by counter-terrorism officers also showed that Natland was receiving detailed travel instructions from someone using the alias 'Agent 47.'

The instructions included collecting £2,000 in cash, two firearms, ammunition and a stolen Nissan fitted with false number plates in Huddersfield, where he was arrested the following day at about 5:15pm.

Bodycam footage of Natland's arrest later went viral after he appeared to pretend he was holding a gun and mimed shooting at armed officers as they entered his hotel room.

He was also seen smiling and laughing while being handcuffed.

Troubled but Dangerous Young Man

Prosecutor Alistair Richardson described Natland as a troubled but dangerous young man.

The court heard that Natland worked part-time in a pizza restaurant, began taking drugs at the age of 13 and had been regarded as a talented footballer.

Prosecutors alleged he came into contact with a member of the Foxtrot Network during a short stay in a care home.

'A young man who agreed to kill in a foreign country for money,' Richardson said.

Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb remanded Natland in custody ahead of sentencing, which is scheduled for October 2026.