A Norwegian teenager who travelled to Manchester Airport to undertake an assassination on British soil has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.
Arrest and evidence
Officers raided a hotel room in Huddersfield and detained Johannes Kongsnes Natland in March last year. Video footage recorded the moment the 19-year-old mimicked holding a firearm and shooting at the officers, before being restrained against a wall and placed in handcuffs. He was discovered with a cache of two firearms, 19 rounds of ammunition and bundles of cash in preparation for the killing that ultimately did not occur.
Natland was acting under instructions from an organised crime group known as the Foxtrot Network - connected to criminal operations on behalf of the Iranian regime. He was directed to murder an individual in the UK, although the identity of the intended victim remains unconfirmed.
Digital communications
Messages recovered from his mobile phone demonstrated he had been provided with precise instructions, including maps, photographs and videos, indicating where the 'hide' containing the bag of weapons was situated, reports the Manchester Evening News. Additional examination of his digital communications by Counter Terrorism Police officers revealed he had received messages via social media while in Norway requesting him to undertake a shooting in the UK. A fee of 25,000 Euros was proposed.
Natland received instructions regarding which flight to take to the UK and what steps to follow upon arrival from an individual using the username 'Agent 47'. Agent 47 - a reference to the video game series Hitman - directed Natland to an address in Huddersfield where he collected a sum of money. He was then provided with the name of a hotel at which to reserve a room.
Conversations with friends
Throughout his stay in the UK, Natland was also exchanging messages with his friends back in Norway, including photographs of the firearms. When asked by a friend whether he had 'tested the weapons', he responded: "Hell no. They will be tested on the guy."
Footage Natland recorded of himself holding the guns, alongside photographs posing with the bags of cash, have been made public, while CCTV footage captures him purchasing gloves in preparation for the killing. However, before he was able to carry out the shooting, just two days after touching down at Manchester Airport, Natland was apprehended in his hotel room in the early hours of 19 March, 2025.
Arrest and trial
The teenager appeared nonchalant, before mimicking the action of raising a gun and firing at the officers. He was subsequently pinned against the wall and placed in handcuffs. A bag containing two firearms, a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and 19 bullets, was recovered inside a plastic bag beneath his bed.
Counter Terrorism Policing London detectives examined CCTV footage from the airport and the hotel, which confirmed he had travelled by taxi to a woodland area of Huddersfield where he had retrieved the firearms. While the intended target of the murder plot has never been named, officers from CTP London uncovered a substantial body of evidence establishing that Natland was fully cognisant of the fact he had been enlisted to kill someone on British soil.
During his testimony, Natland maintained that he had no intention of carrying out the assassination, claiming instead that he planned to 'shoot himself in the foot' as a means of avoiding repercussions should he decline the mission. Nevertheless, having considered all the evidence presented throughout the trial, the jury returned a guilty verdict on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder. He was convicted of the conspiracy following a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, having previously pleaded guilty to possession of the firearms and ammunition.
Sentencing and reaction
He is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey in October. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said: "Due to the swift and professional work of CTP London officers, supported by officers from West Yorkshire Police and CTP North East, Natland was arrested before he was able to carry out a murder in the UK. 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."
