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Norwegian teen jailed for 20 years for UK murder plot after being recruited online
Reuters • • world
Key Points:
- Johannes Natland, a Norwegian teenager recruited online by the Swedish Foxtrot Network linked to Iran, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Britain for conspiracy to murder.
- The Foxtrot Network pays young individuals to carry out violent acts for clients, including alleged operations on behalf of the Iranian state, which Iran denies.
- Natland, who had just turned 18, traveled to Britain intending to commit murder for payment but was arrested before carrying out the act; prosecutors described him as an enthusiastic recruit.
- Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb ruled that Natland would have committed the murder if not apprehended, ordering him to serve at least 13 years in custody.
- Authorities emphasized that there was no direct evidence linking Natland's case to Iran and warned others about the dangers of being recruited as proxies for foreign criminal or state actors.
