LONDON — Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was convicted of conspiracy to murder in a London court on July 29, 2026. Natland was found guilty following a retrial at London's Old Bailey after a jury deliberated for more than 17 hours.

Natland agreed to shoot an unknown person for 25,000 euros ($28,000). He was recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized crime group linked to the Iranian government.

Prosecutor Alistair Richardson said, "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." Richardson stated that Natland "neither knew, nor cared who he was to kill.. to him, this was all about the money."

Frank Ferguson, head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division for the CPS, said, "This was a calculated plan to kill for money." Ferguson said, "Johannes Natland was just 18 when he travelled to the UK, having agreed to carry out a murder on behalf of others for financial gain." He added, "This case shows how organised crime networks operate across borders and exploit young people to carry out serious violence."

Natland received social media messages while in Norway asking if he wanted to carry out a shooting in the U.K. He spent a short period of time in a care home, where he first met a teenage member of the Foxtrot Network and was passed on to a recruiter known as "Generalen." Generalen is a 17-year-old who hired Natland for the operation.

Natland told his girlfriend he was "going on a crazy mission." Counterterrorism officers stated that evidence demonstrated Natland was fully aware he was being asked to kill someone in the UK. In court, Natland claimed he was intending to "shoot himself in the foot" to avoid the repercussions of refusing the mission.

Natland flew into Manchester Airport on an emergency passport from Stavanger on March 17, 2025. Border Force officials in Manchester stopped him and bailed him to return to the airport to catch the next direct flight home. Instead, Natland took a taxi to Huddersfield, where he picked up £2,000 in cash, two guns and bullets, as well as a stolen Nissan with a fake number plate.

Police arrested Natland at a hotel in Huddersfield, northern England, two days after arriving in the UK. The arrest occurred at 5:15 am the following day. Officers found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and 19 rounds of ammunition in a plastic bag under Natland's bed. Natland had already admitted to two offenses related to gun and ammunition possession.

Bodycam footage shows Natland emerging topless from his room and miming a shooting gesture at a firearms officer before being criticized against a wall. Other footage shows Natland emerged from his room smiling, only wearing his boxer shorts, and mimed shooting one of the officers with his empty hands. Jurors heard Natland lied after his arrest and had tried to persuade his girlfriend not to give evidence during his phone calls from prison.

Natland was arrested when he was 18. A jury at Natland's initial trial in June could not reach a verdict on the conspiracy to murder charge, leading to the retrial. Natland will be sentenced at the Old Bailey in October.

The Foxtrot Network's leader is Rawa Majid, who is known as the Kurdish Fox and is believed to be in Iran. The group is involved in drug smuggling and violent crimes. Up to 30 of the wanted Swedes who were arrested outside Sweden had connections to Foxtrot, according to police.

Poya Shafie was sentenced to life imprisonment in a Swedish court in June after being arrested in Iraq. A court in Norway convicted a teenager of attempting to "contribute to murder" and sentenced him to 14 years in custody. A 16-year-old is awaiting trial in Norway for his role in the conspiracy.

The U.K. government announced sanctions against the Foxtrot Network and its leader due to their involvement in violence against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime. The sanctions include an asset freeze that bars U.K. businesses from handling funds or other economic assets controlled by the organization.