Norwegian teenager employed as hitman by Iranian crime gang jailed for 20 years | Yorkshire

A teenage hitman who travelled from Norway to the UK with the intention of finishing up a homicide on behalf of an Iran-backed transnational crime gang has been jailed for 20 years.

Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, a proficient footballer, had agreed to shoot an unknown goal in return for €25,000 (£21,500).

He travelled to the UK in March final yr from his residence in Stavanger, however two days later – earlier than he might perform the hit – armed police arrested him at a lodge in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.

Officers discovered him in possession of a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, 12 rounds of dwell ammunition and gloves. Natland admitted possessing the firearms and ammunition however stated he had supposed to shoot himself within the foot to get out of the “pickle” he was in.

However, he was later discovered responsible of conspiracy to homicide and on Friday was sentenced to twenty years in detention.

The courtroom heard that Natland had been recruited by one other teenager known as Generalen, who was working for the proscribed Swedish Foxtrot gang, which is backed by the Iranian regime and identified for recruiting kids as younger as 13 to develop into concerned in drug smuggling and violent crimes.

Natland had been managed by an English-speaking boss known as Agent 47 – an obvious reference to the Hitman gaming and movie franchise. The id and whereabouts of Agent 47 stay unknown.

Natland had flown into Manchester on a brief passport, the place he had been stopped by Border Force officers, who bailed him to return to the airport to catch the following direct flight residence.

However, he as a substitute travelled by taxi to Huddersfield, the place he booked into the Briar Court lodge and picked up the weapons and ammunition, in addition to £2,000 in money. He was additionally directed to a stolen Nissan with false quantity plates, which was for use within the assassination.

While within the lodge, Natland took selfies with the weapons and money unfold out on his mattress, and bragged to his girlfriend that he had the “bangs within the bag” earlier than armed police arrived to arrest him at 5.15am the following day.

Paul Hynes KC, defending, pointed to Natland’s age on the time of the offending and stated he had been a “younger, fashionable, profitable scholar and sportsman” earlier than he went “off the rails” after he grew to become hooked on medication. Giving proof, Natland instructed jurors: “I wasn’t an transnational murderer. I assumed folks had this impression and anticipated me to be this man. I knew I wasn’t.”

However, in a televised sentencing at Woolwich crown courtroom in south-east London, Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb stated messages he despatched confirmed “not solely participation however at factors pleasure” about what he was planning on doing.

“You agreed to be the enforcer and pursued it, regardless of quite a few alternatives to extricate your self,” she stated.

“Although the truth that nobody was shot lifeless or bodily harmed is necessary, I’m positive, had the intervention of the police not prevented the plan from continuing, you’d have completed what you had agreed to.”