Johannes Kongsnes Natland, a 19-year-old Norwegian, has been found guilty of travelling to England to carry out a murder for an international criminal organisation with ties to Iran. He accepted a contract to shoot an unidentified victim for 25,000 euro (£21,500) in March last year.
Natland landed in the UK from Stavanger and was arrested at a hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, just two days after his arrival. Officers recovered two firearms and 12 rounds of ammunition. He admitted possessing the weapons but claimed he intended to shoot himself in the foot to escape his predicament.
Jurors at the Old Bailey heard that Natland had repeatedly lied after his arrest and tried to persuade his girlfriend not to testify. After 17 hours and six minutes of deliberation, they found him guilty of conspiracy to murder at a retrial. Natland showed no reaction in the dock. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb ordered a report and remanded him in custody pending sentencing in the autumn.
The recruitment and handler
Natland was recruited by a 17-year-old known as "Generalen", who was found guilty in Norway of attempting to "contribute to murder" in May last year. Generalen operated for the Swedish Foxtrot gang, which is supported by the Iranian regime and known for recruiting children as young as 13. He enlisted Natland after another accomplice withdrew.
Instructions came from an English-speaking handler called "Agent 47", a name echoing the Hitman video game and film series. Natland continued with the plan even after learning Generalen had been detained for conspiracy to murder.
Following Agent 47's instructions, Natland flew from Stavanger to Manchester on a temporary passport on March 17 last year. Border Force officers intercepted him but released him on bail to return to the airport for the next flight home. Instead, he took a taxi to Huddersfield, collected £2,000 in cash, two firearms, and ammunition, and was directed to a stolen Nissan with false number plates.
Natland checked into the Briar Court Hotel and sent his girlfriend messages saying he had secured the "bangs in the bag", taking selfies with the weapons and money. The night before the intended shooting, Agent 47 told him: "We have much to do tomorrow." At 5.15am, armed police raided his room. Natland appeared grinning in boxer shorts and mimicked shooting an officer. Officers found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 12 live rounds, gloves, and cash.
Defence and prosecution arguments
During the trial, a friend testified that Natland had boasted about the "Swedish Foxes" and said: "I'm going to get a lot of money and somebody is going to die." Natland told his girlfriend in a message: "I'm going on crazy mission" and wrote: "Now I can finally kill someone and it's perfect as I get money to do it. I can kill someone and life will be wonderful." He added: "It will be a bit cool to kill someone. If I don't get caught we have to celebrate."
Natland claimed his statements were "bravado" and he was internally "terrified". He said: "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 said he became addicted to drugs, was sent to rehab and a care home, and initially thought the proposal was a "joke" or a "scam". He intended to shoot himself in the foot to escape the situation, stating: "I was going to look like an idiot but desperate times call for desperate measures. Faced with the alternative of being shot in the head, I thought being shot in the foot is better, yeah."
Prosecutor Alistair Richardson told the jury: "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."
Ongoing investigation and responses
The identity and location of Agent 47 remain unknown. Frank Ferguson from 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. Thanks to swift and coordinated police work, this plot was stopped before anyone was harmed. This conviction sends a clear message: if you come to this country to commit serious violence on behalf of organised criminals, you will be caught and we will make sure you are brought to justice."
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: "This investigation highlights the importance of the strong links with our international law enforcement partners to counter the very real threat of criminal organisations across European borders. We've worked particularly closely with colleagues from Norwegian law enforcement authorities and as a result, we have stopped somebody from being assassinated here in the UK. Our investigation, which remains ongoing, has also resulted in two lethal weapons and ammunition being taken out of criminal hands and off the streets of the UK which has undoubtedly made the public safer."
