Johannes Natland was recruited by a Swedish crime group used by the Islamic regime to murder an unknown individual in the UK

A Norwegian teenager has been found guilty of travelling to Britain for a hit job on behalf of an Iran-backed international crime network.

Johannes Natland, 19, was recruited by the Foxtrot, a Swedish organised crime group used by the Islamic regime, to shoot dead an unknown individual in the UK in return for £21,000.

He was arrested by police at the Briar Court Hotel in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, with two guns and 19 rounds of live ammunition last year.

The footballer pleaded guilty to possession of the firearms and ammunition, although he denied conspiracy to murder.

During the trial at the Old Bailey, the teen claimed he had planned to foil the mission by shooting himself in the foot.

A jury at his initial trial in June could not reach a verdict on the conspiracy charge.

However, a jury in London delivered a unanimous guilty verdict today after deliberating for 17 hours.

Foxtrot, which is sanctioned by the UK Government for targeting Jewish figures, hires teenage killers in what Europol describes as "violence-as-a-service" (VaaS).

They advertise murderous assignments on social media platforms such as Snapchat andTelegram, targeting children as young as 12.

Flying from Stavanger to Manchester using an emergency passport on March 17, 2025, Natland was directed on the Signal messaging app to pick up guns, a stolen car and cash.

He was initially refused entry into the UK by UK Border Force due to his lack of funds, hotel booking, or return flight but was allowed to temporarily reside in the country, as the next flight back to Stavanger was not for three days.

Natland was prevented from killing his target because Norwegian authorities detained his young fixer, called "General", and uncovered the plot on his phone, the court heard.

"General" was later jailed over his involvement in the plot – as well as two murders in Sweden, as well as two attempted murders.

Prosecutor Alistair Richardson said "General" was acting for "Agent 47" – named after a character in the Hitman game franchise – who is believed to be Iraqi-Swedish national Ali Shehab Ahmed.

When school dropout Natland was confronted by counter-terror officers in his Yorkshire hotel room on March 19, he mimed shooting one of them before being pushed against the wall and handcuffed.

Natland's mother said her son "a very happy person" before his mental health deteriorated during the coronavirus pandemic.

She told Sky News: "He started to experiment with drugs. He was still our lovely boy. He never became a violent boy, he's never robbed anyone, he has no criminal record, but he was suffering from his own diseases and from his loneliness."

Frank Ferguson, Head of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division at the Metropolitan Police, said: "This was a calculated plan to kill for money.

"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.

"This case shows how organised crime networks operate across borders and exploit young people to carry out serious violence.

"Thanks to swift and coordinated police work, this plot was stopped before anyone was harmed.

"The evidence in this case – including telephone evidence, text messages, CCTV footage and witness testimony – clearly left no doubt that Natland intended to carry out this crime.

"This conviction sends a clear message: if you come to this country to commit serious violence on behalf of organised criminals, you will be caught and we will make sure you are brought to justice."