British prosecutors told a court in London on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, that a Norwegian teenager had traveled to the United Kingdom on a murder mission after allegedly being recruited for payment by a Swedish criminal network said to have been used by the Iranian government.
Prosecutor Alistair Richardson told the Old Bailey that Johannes Nattland, now 19, was arrested in March 2024 in a hotel room in Huddersfield, northern England.
At the time of his arrest, police allegedly found two firearms and ammunition in his possession.
Richardson said that Nattland had been recruited by an organization known as the Foxtrot Network and had agreed to carry out a killing in exchange for money.
According to the prosecutor, the Foxtrot Network is an organized Swedish criminal group that has allegedly been used by the Iranian government.
Nattland has denied a charge of conspiracy to murder an unidentified individual. Richardson told the jury that the defendant had previously admitted, in October 2024, to possessing a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and live ammunition.
The prosecutor stated that investigators do not know who the intended victim was. However, he argued that messages recovered during the investigation, along with statements allegedly made by Nattland to friends in Norway before the operation began, indicated that he had intended to participate in a murder plot.
Richardson further told the court that the communications identified an individual using the alias “Agent 47” as the person directing the operation. According to the prosecution, Agent 47 had discussed “finding a killer” and a payment of €25,000 for carrying out the mission.
The court also heard that another individual initially considered for the assignment reportedly became hesitant, after which the organizers allegedly turned to Nattland.
