The teenage hitmen recruited to kill across Europe

In the predawn hours of a Stockholm evening, a figure in black attire emerged from the frigid air. Armed with a firearm, the assailant confronted 20-year-old Murad Abdelkader, a student returning from work at McDonald's. With a series of rapid shots, the gunman executed his target, ending his life as the victim lay motionless on the ground.

The perpetrator, 18-year-old Atilla Azimov, had been hired for the deed by the Foxtrot Network, a notorious organized crime group with ties to the Iranian regime. This illicit enterprise, which has been active since 2022, is believed to have orchestrated around 35 murders and various attacks, including two explosions and grenade assaults on Israeli targets across Europe.

Members of the Foxtrot Network typically recruit young individuals for these violent acts, often receiving payment, though they rarely see the funds due to their frequent apprehension. These teenage hitmen are ensnared through social media platforms, where they receive their directives within a gamified framework reminiscent of video games.

Europol's European Serious and Organized Crime Centre (OTF GRIMM) describes this practice as the "calculated outsourcing of murder" to vulnerable adolescents. The leader of the Foxtrot Network, Rawa Majid, has fled Sweden for Iran, now residing in Tehran. Police suspect that certain VaaS attacks were commissioned by the Iranian regime, such as the grenade strike on the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen.

Other operations may be driven by the group's conflict over drug trafficking. Swedish journalist Diamant Salihu has been investigating the Foxtrot Network and its connections to Iran for three years. According to Salihu, the Iranian regime instructed Majid to instigate his network to carry out attacks against Iran's adversaries, including dissidents, journalists, and Israeli targets.

The relationship between the Foxtrot Network and the Iranian regime solidified in October 2023 when Majid relocated to Tehran, forcing him to strike a deal with the regime, requiring the network to serve their interests. The Foxtrot Network and Majid were sanctioned by the UK government in April 2025, following the arrest of Norwegian teenager Johannes Natland, who was 18 at the time.

Natland had agreed to execute a hit in West Yorkshire, England, for 270,000 Norwegian kroner (around £21,000). His recruitment began when he was approached online by a teenager known as Generalen, who had spent three years in a children's home. Generalen then passed Natland on to a Foxtrot member identified as Agent 47, a reference to the video game franchise.

Swedish police have implicated Ali Shehad Ahmed, a close associate of Majid, as Agent 47. Agent 47 facilitated Natland's journey to Manchester, providing him with weapons and a map of the area, while also arranging a hidden cash stash. Upon arrival, Natland was instructed to remain uninformed about his target, awaiting further guidance.

The teenager who recruited Natland, Generalen, is known for his prolific hiring of young individuals, including Azimov and a 17-year-old who murdered Ahmed Zamzam in Lund, Sweden. Notably, neither of these killers received payment, as they were apprehended before receiving any funds. Salihu asserts that this deliberate approach is due to Foxtrot's belief that teenagers are less likely to consider the consequences of their actions and more inclined to take risks.

Generalen's recruitment efforts culminated when he attempted to orchestrate the murder of the 14-year-old son of a Norwegian police officer, a plan that involved two teenagers aged 15 and 17. However, the 15-year-old informed the authorities, leading to Generalen's arrest.