Overview
- An Old Bailey jury found Johannes Kongsnes Natland guilty of conspiracy to murder on Wednesday after a retrial, and he will be sentenced on 16 October 2026.
- Natland was arrested in a Huddersfield hotel on 19 March 2025 with a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 12 rounds of ammunition and cash after being directed to the UK by handlers.
- Prosecutors say the plot was organised by the Sweden-based Foxtrot Network, described by authorities as used by the Iranian state and already sanctioned by the UK and US.
- Evidence presented at trial included messages from a controller called 'Agent47', phone material, CCTV footage, selfies with the weapons and testimony linking a 17-year-old recruiter called 'Generalen' to the scheme.
- Officials say the case highlights a pattern of vulnerable teenagers being recruited through encrypted apps for paid violence and that it has spurred ongoing cross-border investigations and prosecutions in Norway and Britain.