A teenager who travelled to the UK to carry out a murder for money has been jailed for 20 years. Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, flew from Norway after agreeing to shoot an unknown target for £21,500 (€25,000).
Armed police arrested him in a Huddersfield hotel room stocked with two guns and 12 live bullets, foiling the scheme.
Recruited by Swedish gang
Natland, who was 18 when he agreed to 'murder for money,' was found guilty of conspiracy to murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He had been recruited by another teenager nicknamed 'Generalen' working for the outlawed Swedish gang, Foxtrot, the court heard.
The criminal gang is involved in drug and arms trafficking, and is thought to have Iranian backing, according to the US Department of State. The plan began after Natland received a message asking 'Is anyone up for murder for money?'
Arrest and evidence
Natland travelled from Stavanger to Manchester in March last year ahead of the planned hit. He was controlled by an English-speaking mystery handler named Agent 47, a nod to the Hitman gaming and film franchise.
Border Force officers stopped him at Manchester and bailed him to return to the airport to catch the next available flight back to Norway. However, he took a taxi to Huddersfield instead, where he picked up £2,000 in cash, the two weapons and bullets.
He left a trail of evidence, including bragging messages to his girlfriend and taking selfies with the guns and money on his bed. One footballer pal told the court Natland had talked about 'Swedish Foxes' and allegedly told him 'I'm going to get a lot of money and somebody is going to die.' His girlfriend claimed he had told her: '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.'
Sentencing remarks
Natland said his life went downhill after he became addicted to drugs and went into rehab and a care home. During his evidence, he blamed the plot on wanting to look 'cool' to his peers, but said it was just 'bravado' and inside he was 'terrified.'
Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb, during sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court, said: 'At the heart of this case is the stark fact you agreed to assassinate another human being, a stranger to you, in a foreign country. You knew nothing about the person's life or circumstances. You were just 18 years old when you placed yourself in readiness to murder for money. The commission was for the Foxtrot Network and arranged online through social media platforms. The idea of being involved in such an endeavour thrilled your immature personality, which was no longer tethered to the strong family network you grew up in.'
She said that had the police not intercepted the plot, Natland 'would have done what you had agreed to do.' The messages he sent showed 'not only participation but at points excitement' about the scheme.
While Agent 47 has not been caught, other suspects have been caught in connection to the plot. A 27-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder in September last year and was released under investigation. Two men, aged 30 and 27, were arrested in Bradford on May 20 on suspicion of handling stolen goods relating to a car before being released on bail.
