Norwegian Teenager Convicted in UK Over Foxtrot Network Contract Killing Plot
The case highlights the gang's use of vulnerable teenagers for violence-as-a-service, with alleged ties to Iran, according to European investigators.
A Norwegian teenager has been convicted in Britain of conspiracy to murder after travelling to England to carry out a contract killing for the Sweden-based Foxtrot Network, a criminal gang that European investigators say recruits vulnerable adolescents for cross-border violence. Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey. He was intercepted by police at a hotel in Huddersfield in March last year, where officers recovered two firearms, 19 rounds of ammunition and £2,000 in cash. Prosecutors said he had agreed to commit the murder for €25,000.
Natland’s recruitment followed years of drug addiction and mental health difficulties, according to British media reports. After meeting another teenager online, he was added to encrypted chat groups where individuals using aliases such as “Agent 47” and “Generalen” arranged his travel, directed him to hidden weapons and cash drops, and issued instructions. He had not been told the identity of the intended victim. Europol’s Operational Taskforce GRIMM, set up to combat organised crime, describes this model as “violence-as-a-service” — the calculated outsourcing of murder to vulnerable young people.
The Foxtrot Network, which emerged in Sweden in the late 2010s, is led by Rawa Majid, a Swedish-Iraqi national also known as “The Kurdish Fox.” Investigators believe Majid is now based in Tehran and that some attacks have been carried out on behalf of the Iranian regime, including against Israeli and Jewish targets in Europe. The network is thought to be responsible for around 35 murders since 2022, as well as grenade and explosive attacks. Recruiters offer teenagers between £20,000 and £60,000 for attacks, but the money is rarely paid because the young perpetrators are often caught. Both the United Kingdom and the United States imposed sanctions on the network and Majid in 2025. Iran has rejected allegations of any connection to the gang.
Europol’s task force, which involves 11 countries, has made more than 280 arrests linked to the violence-as-a-service phenomenon. Officials warn that other organised crime groups are adopting the same recruitment model. The investigation into the network’s activities remains ongoing.
| Israeli press | −0.90 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Indian & South Asian press | −0.50 | critical |
| Sub-Saharan African press | −0.30 | critical |
| Continental European press | −0.40 | critical |
Israel exposes Iran as the puppet master behind a network of teenage assassins targeting Jewish sites in Europe, demanding a coordinated crackdown.
It builds a hierarchy of threats from the lone Norwegian teen all the way to Tehran, turning every criminal act into a strategic Iranian attack.
It omits the social vulnerability and youth marginalization highlighted by Indian and African press, as well as Sweden's role as a logistical hub for the network.
India watches with concern as global organized crime turns boys into killers, a warning for all societies that neglect their youth.
It universalizes the issue: from a Norwegian case to a global symptom of youth recruitment, shifting focus from Iranian specificity to social vulnerability.
It does not delve into the direct link to the Iranian regime, central in Israeli press, nor mentions attacks on Israeli targets.
Sub-Saharan Africa narrates the failure of the European state to protect its own children, turned into commodities by a violence market.
It personifies the European state as negligent, using the concrete case of the wrong man killed to show the absurdity of the system.
It omits the Iran link and the recruitment of minors for attacks on Israeli targets, central in other blocs.
Continental Europe denounces the threat of a transnational network radicalizing minors online, calling for a coordinated state response.
It creates an equivalence between the Norwegian and Spanish cases, suggesting a single European youth violence network, amplifying the perception of a widespread threat.
It omits the Iran link and the Foxtrot network's Swedish-Iranian nature, central in Israeli and Atlantic press.
Broaden your view
US revokes visa of Brazil’s ambassador in retaliation over envoy approval delay
2 languages · 43 outlets
From Economy & MarketsSpaceX revenue jumps 92% in first post-IPO quarter, but AI spending triggers share slide
1 language · 31 outlets
From TechnologyBoeing 737 MAX 7 wins FAA certification after near-decade of scrutiny
3 languages · 18 outlets