Norwegian teenager jailed for 20 years over Foxtrot murder plot in Britain
A Norwegian teenager has been jailed for 20 years for conspiring to murder an unidentified person in the UK on behalf of the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish criminal gang described in court as backed by Iran. The plot was stopped before anyone was harmed, but the judge said Natland would have carried out the killing without police intervention.
Natland, who was 18 when he travelled to Britain, was promised £21,000 and arrested at a Huddersfield hotel on 19 March last year, hours before the planned attack. Police found two firearms, 12 rounds of ammunition and £2,000 in cash; he was convicted after a two-week trial at the Old Bailey, having admitted possessing the weapons but denied conspiracy to murder. Prosecutors said he had been recruited through Signal and did not know or care who the intended victim was.
- Teenager jailed for 20 years over a UK murder plot.
- Police arrested him hours before the planned attack.
- The intended target remains unidentified.
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The Foxtrot Network is a Swedish criminal gang that has been linked to violent crime in several countries. British courts described it as backed by Iran, though that does not mean every person accused of acting for the gang is Iranian or knows who is directing it.
The case concerns an alleged contract killing: a person is recruited to murder someone in return for payment. Police said the teenager was recruited through Signal, an encrypted messaging app, and travelled from Norway to Britain. The intended victim was not publicly identified.
The case highlights how criminal networks can recruit people across borders and arrange violence remotely. It also shows the role of police and courts in investigating and prosecuting plots before an attack takes place.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
A lengthy sentence can be defended as a proportionate response to a planned murder involving firearms, even though police stopped it before anyone was hurt. The judge’s finding that Natland would have carried out the killing, alongside his recruitment for payment and apparent indifference to the victim’s identity, supports treating the conspiracy as exceptionally serious and deterring others from taking such jobs.
The case against
A 20-year sentence for an 18-year-old convicted of conspiracy, when the planned attack was intercepted before anyone was harmed, may be seen as excessive given his age and the scope for rehabilitation. A thoughtful case for restraint would distinguish the grave danger of the plot from a completed killing and ask whether a long custodial term is necessary, while still recognising the need to protect the public and punish serious offending.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Teenage Norwegian hitman jailed for 20 years after plotting to assassinate target in the UK on behalf of Iran-backed gang”.