Norwegian teen jailed for 20 years in UK for Iran-linked murder plot after being recruited online
Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal group, has been linked to murders across Europe, and Britain and the US allege the group was behind attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets on behalf of Iran.
A Norwegian teenager named Johannes Natland, 19, was sentenced to 20 years in a British jail on Friday for being part of a murder plot allegedly linked to Iran. Natland was recruited online by a Swedish organized crime group known as the Foxtrot Network, which pays young people to carry out violence on behalf of clients, including the Iranian state.
Prosecutors said Natland was unaware of the identity of the person he was to kill for 270,000 Norwegian kroner, or around $28,600. The case is one of several in recent years involving young adults who have committed serious criminal acts after being recruited online. Britain has accused some of these individuals of acting as unwitting proxies for foreign states like Iran or Russia.
The Foxtrot Network has been linked to multiple murders across Europe, and both Britain and the US allege the group was responsible for attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets on behalf of Iran. Natland, who had just turned 18 when he flew from Norway to Britain, admitted to possessing a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and ammunition but denied conspiracy to murder.
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said she was convinced Natland would have carried out the attack if not caught. Natland's lawyer, Farid Bouras, stated that their priority now is to bring Natland back to Norway as quickly as possible. Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London warned that those recruited for such crimes will not be protected by the orchestrators, as the consequences of their actions will still be faced.
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