Norwegian teenager Johannes Kongsnes Natland jailed for 20 years in London over Iranian‑linked gang hit plot
The 19-year-old was convicted in July of conspiracy to murder after agreeing to shoot an unknown target for €25,000 and was arrested in Huddersfield with two guns.
A Norwegian teenager has been sentenced in London to 20 years in prison after being convicted for travelling to the UK to carry out a paid killing for an international criminal group linked to Iran.
The 19-year-old, Johannes Kongsnes Natland, was found guilty in July of conspiracy to murder. Prosecutors say that last year he agreed to shoot an unknown target in return for €25,000.
Two days after arriving in the United Kingdom, Natland was arrested in a hotel in Huddersfield, in northern England. Police found two handguns and ammunition in his possession at the time of the arrest.
Court ruling
The sentencing took place in London, where the court imposed a 20-year custodial term. The charge against Natland centred on his agreement with an organised criminal network reportedly connected to Iran.
Officials handling the case said the prosecution established that the trip to Britain had been planned as part of the gang's attempt to contract an outsider to carry out a murder.
Natland, who was 19 at the time of conviction, will serve the sentence following the court’s ruling in London.
Photo: AP)
