Johannes Kongsnes Natland travelled to Manchester Airport with the plan to 'undertake a hit' in exchange for money, it is alleged
Johannes Kongsnes Natland travelled to Manchester Airport with the plan to 'undertake a hit' in exchange for money, it is allegedon March 17 last year with the plan to 'undertake a hit' in exchange for money, it is alleged.
The 19-year-old was allegedly acting for a Swedish organisation called Foxtrot Network but was prevented from carrying out an attack after he was arrested in a hotel room in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, two days after his arrival, the court heard. Police found a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, and 12 rounds of live ammunition in his possession, it was heard.
Prosecutor Alastair Richardson told the trial opening that Natland, from Stavanger in south-west Norway, had agreed to work for the group 'in return for some money'. It was heard that an individual referred to as Agent 47 had contacted a figure with username Generalen to ask for someone to carry out an assassination in the UK. In the message, Agent 47 told Generalen that there was 25,000 euros 'in the pot'.
Jurors heard that Natland was contacted on March 15 by a user, called UnknownHustler, informing him of the job. Natland later messaged his girlfriend to say: "I'm going on a crazy mission". Jurors were shown further messages in which Generalen told Agent 47 in a group chat with Natland: "This is the assassin for EU, brother.
" The defendant flew from Norway to It was heard that upon his arrival the defendant was interviewed by Border Force officers over concerns surrounding his age and lack of money. He told them he had arrived to the city to visit his gamer friends and see landmarks, the court was told. The defendant left the airport and took a taxi to a hotel in Manchester.
That night, Agent 47 sent him a message reading: "Sleep and when you wake up we start.
" The court heard that the following day, Natland collected the guns and ammunition and messaged his girlfriend to say: "In the bag is bang. " He also bought rubber gloves and lined up a car, the prosecutor told jurors. On the morning of March 19, specialist firearms officers attended the Briar Court Hotel in Huddersfield to arrest Natland.
It was heard that as the defendant came to the doorway, he held his hands up 'imitating holding a firearm, and pretended to shoot one of the officers'. The prosecutor said: "You may think that of itself gives you a little insight about what he was in the United Kingdom to do.
" Mr Richardson told jurors: "The group that had recruited him, the Foxtrot Network, is a Swedish organised crime group used by the Iranian regime. We do not know who the defendant was planning to murder, but as you will see from his messages, the messages of others, and what he told his friends in Norway before he set out on his plan, it was clear that was his plan.
"Mr Richardson added: "The Foxtrot network often use perpetrators who are very young, and with whom they have no direct link. The use of social media has enabled the rapid increase of cross-border crime.
"The groups used by the Foxtrot network, also known as the Swedish Foxes, can have anything from a few to several thousand members, with group names such as Samurai Children. "Choose Manchester Evening News as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.
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