Norwegian Youth Sentenced to 20 Years for Plotting Murder Linked to Iran in Britain - Sarmad

A British court sentenced a Norwegian youth to 20 years in prison on Friday for plotting to commit murder in the UK after being recruited by a Swedish organized crime group linked to the Iranian government.

Johannes Natland, currently 19 years old, was arrested in March 2025 in a hotel room in Huddersfield, northern England, in possession of two firearms and ammunition.

Prosecutors said Natland was recruited by the “Fox Trot” network, a Swedish organized crime group used by the Iranian state and sanctioned by both the UK and the US.

The British government imposed sanctions last year on the “Fox Trot” network and its leader, citing their involvement in violent acts against Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe on behalf of the Iranian regime.

These sanctions include asset freezes, which prohibit UK companies from dealing with funds or other economic assets controlled by the organization.

Natland pleaded guilty to possessing a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and ammunition, but denied conspiracy to murder, claiming he had no intention of carrying out the plan.

The youth was convicted in July following a retrial and sentenced to 20 years in prison by Woolwich Crown Court in London.

Natland was recruited by a 17-year-old boy known as “The General.” A Norwegian court convicted the teenager last year of attempting to “contribute to murder” and sentenced him to 14 years in prison. Another 16-year-old boy is awaiting trial in Norway for his role in the conspiracy.

Natland is the latest young person to be tried in the UK and elsewhere on charges of serious crimes allegedly committed after being recruited online for money, often acting as a proxy for a foreign state without fully realizing it.