A 19-year-old Norwegian hitman, Johannes Kongsnes Natland, has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder after travelling to England to carry out a killing on behalf of an international crime syndicate linked to Iran.
Natland, a talented footballer, agreed to shoot an unknown target for €25,000 (£21,500) in March 2025. He flew from his home in Stavanger to Manchester Airport, but was arrested by armed police two days later at a hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Police seized two guns and 12 live rounds.
At the Old Bailey, a jury deliberated for 17 hours and six minutes to convict him after a retrial. Natland admitted possessing the firearms but claimed he would have shot himself in the foot to avoid carrying out the killing. The court heard he lied repeatedly after his arrest and attempted to persuade his girlfriend not to testify.
Recruited by Iranian-Backed Gang
Prosecutors said Natland was recruited by a 17-year-old known as “Generalen”, who was working for the proscribed Swedish Foxtrot gang. The gang is backed by the Iranian regime and is known for using children as young as 13 in drug smuggling and violent crime. Generalen brought Natland in after another recruit dropped out.
Natland was directed by an English-speaking controller called “Agent 47”, a reference to the Hitman gaming franchise. He travelled to the UK on a temporary passport, was stopped by Border Force but bailed to return to the airport. Instead, he took a taxi to Huddersfield, collected £2,000 in cash, two guns, and ammunition, and was directed to a stolen Nissan with false plates.
Arrest and Evidence
On the eve of the planned shooting, Agent 47 messaged Natland: “We have much to do tomorrow.” At 5.15am, armed police raided his hotel room. Natland emerged smiling in only boxer shorts and pretended to shoot an officer with his empty hands. In his room, police found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 12 rounds, gloves, and the cash.
During the trial, a friend testified that Natland boasted about “Swedish Foxes” and said: “I’m going to get a lot of money and somebody is going to die.” His girlfriend revealed messages in which Natland said: “Now I can finally kill someone and it’s perfect as I get money to do it.” He also told her: “It will be a bit cool to kill someone. If I don’t get caught we have to celebrate.”
Natland claimed the comments were “bravado” and he was “terrified” inside. He said he initially thought the plot was a “joke” or a “scam”, and planned to shoot himself in the foot because he feared the gang would shoot him in the head.
Verdict and Sentencing
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb ordered a pre-sentence report and remanded Natland into custody, with sentencing to be fixed in the autumn. Prosecutor Alistair Richardson told jurors: “The reality is the defendant is a troubled but dangerous young man. A young man who agreed to kill in a foreign country for money.”
Frank Ferguson of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This was a calculated plan to kill for money. This case shows how organised crime networks operate across borders and exploit young people to carry out serious violence.” Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London said the investigation highlighted the importance of international links, and that two lethal weapons had been taken off the streets.
Generalen was convicted in Norway of attempting to “contribute to murder” in May 2025. Three others have been charged in Norway, with a decision pending on indictment. In the UK, a 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in September 2025 and released under investigation. Two men, aged 30 and 27, were arrested in Bradford on May 20 on suspicion of handling stolen goods and later bailed.
