Norwegian teen hitman jailed for 20 years for UK murder plot linked to Iran gang
Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, has been jailed for 20 years for travelling to England to carry out a killing on behalf of an international crime gang backed by Iran.
Natland, a Norwegian footballer, was sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court on Friday.
He was found guilty of conspiracy to murder in July, following a retrial.
Natland had agreed to shoot an unknown target for €25,000 (£21,500) in March 2025.
Two days after he arrived in the UK on a flight from his home in Stavanger, armed police swooped to arrest him at a hotel in Huddersfield. They seized two guns and 12 live bullets.
Natland admitted possessing the firearms and ammunition but claimed he would have shot himself in the foot to get out of the “pickle” he was in.
However, jurors heard he had lied repeatedly following his arrest and even tried to persuade his girlfriend not to give evidence in phone calls from prison.
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