Norwegian teenager jailed 20 years for online-recruited killing plot
A 19-year-old was recruited online while gaming to carry out a UK contract killing for a Swedish organised crime group.
Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was jailed for 20 years. He agreed to kill an unknown target for around $40,000 for a Swedish crime gang linked to Iran.
He was recruited online through gaming by the Foxtrot Network while living in Norway. Natland worked part-time at a pizza restaurant when he was arrested.
He travelled to Britain and was arrested at a hotel in Huddersfield just two days after arriving, with police finding two guns and ammunition intended for the hit. Natland admitted having the firearms but claimed he did not want to go ahead with the plan.
Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said police action stopped the killing. The Swedish organised crime group has been linked to attacks on Jewish and Israeli targets in Europe for the Iranian regime.
Counter Terrorism Policing said that Natland had been recruited despite no prior criminal history, describing him as "your average teenage boy".
- 19
- Age at sentencing
- 20 years
- Prison sentence
- AUD$40,000
- Offered payment
- Huddersfield, northern England
- Arrested location
Why it mattersThe case shows how organised crime groups recruit ordinary teenagers via gaming to carry out serious crimes. It also shows how online recruitment gets around traditional criminal networks.
AustraliaNo direct Australian effect, but the case illustrates global risks of online recruitment for organised crime that Australian law enforcement and parents monitor.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 3 h ago
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