Norwegian Teen Sentenced to 20 Years Over UK Murder Plot Linked to Iran
GREATER LONDON, October 16, 2026 — A 19-year-old Norwegian man has been sentenced to 20 years’ detention in the United Kingdom after being convicted of conspiring to murder an unidentified person on behalf of an organised crime group linked to Iran.
Johannes Natland was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal organisation described as having backing from the Iranian government, to carry out a killing in England, the BBC reported Friday.
A jury unanimously found Natland guilty of conspiracy to murder following a retrial. He had previously admitted possessing firearms and ammunition. The sentence was handed down at Woolwich Crown Court.
Natland was arrested in March 2025 at the Briar Court Hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. Police found two functioning firearms and 19 rounds of live ammunition concealed beneath his bed.
He had arrived at Manchester Airport on March 17, 2025, using an emergency passport, shortly after turning 18.
Investigators said Natland followed video instructions sent through the encrypted messaging app Signal and travelled to Huddersfield, where firearms, a stolen vehicle and cash had been hidden for the planned operation.
The plot was uncovered after Norwegian police arrested the individual who had recruited Natland. Officers found messages relating to the planned killing on the recruiter’s phone.
Intended Victim Remains Unidentified
Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads Counter Terrorism Policing London, said authorities had been unable to determine who the intended victim was.
During sentencing, Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb said Natland had been recruited to travel to England to kill an unidentified target. She stressed that he had agreed to assassinate a stranger in a foreign country.
The Foxtrot Network has been sanctioned by both the UK and the United States over its reported links to the Iranian government.
The group has also been associated with recruiting teenagers to carry out violent offences, a practice Europol has described as “violence-as-a-service.”
Defendant’s Background
Natland grew up in Stavanger, southwestern Norway. Reports said he began using drugs at the age of 13 and later left school.
He also reportedly experienced drug-induced psychosis.
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