Norwegian teen was in UK to 'undertake a hit', court hears

A 19-year-old Norwegian named Johannes Natland has appeared in court accused of being involved in a plot to carry out a killing in the UK on behalf of a Swedish criminal network with connections to Iran. Natland was apprehended in March 2025 at a hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, where authorities discovered two firearms and live ammunition in his possession. He had entered the country using an emergency passport after traveling from Norway.

The prosecution alleges that Natland retrieved the weapons from a secret cache hidden in a wooded area nearby. While he has admitted to carrying a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and twelve rounds of ammunition, Natland denies conspiring to commit murder. According to statements made in court by prosecutor Alistair Richardson, Natland was recruited by a group known as the Foxtrot network, described as a Swedish organized crime syndicate tied to the Iranian regime. Richardson explained that Natland was instructed to travel to the UK and “undertake a hit,” but the intended target remains unknown.

Evidence presented during the trial included exchanges between Natland and associates using pseudonyms on encrypted messaging apps. Letters between an individual named ‘Generalen’ and someone called ‘Agent 47’ discussed the urgent need to find an assassin in Europe due to a prior operative withdrawing from the mission. The messages revealed a €25,000 payment fund and specified Great Britain as the location. Despite learning that one of his recruiters had been arrested before he left Norway, Natland continued with his plans. Upon arrival at Manchester Airport, he was detained briefly by Border Force officials who found he had little cash, no accommodation, and no return ticket, but he was permitted temporary entry.

After being released, Natland made his way to Huddersfield, where he stayed at the Briar Court Hotel under Agent 47’s instructions. He was guided to a weapon stash concealed at the base of a tree and subsequently purchased rubber gloves and accessed a stolen vehicle, which prosecutors claim was intended for use in carrying out the attack. Text messages from his contacts suggest he had every intention to follow through with the murder. However, early one morning, armed police arrested Natland in his hotel room. Officers seized the firearms, ammunition, and cash during his arrest. The trial, currently underway at the Old Bailey in London, is expected to last around three weeks

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