Teen Hitman for Iran-Linked Gang Jailed 20 Years in UK
The Facts
- A Norwegian teenager who traveled to the U.K. to carry out a contract killing for a crime group linked to Iran was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison. Johannes Kongsnes Natland, 19, agreed to shoot an unidentified target for €25,000 ($28,100).
- In a televised sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court, Justice Bobbie Cheema-Grubb said Natland "agreed to be the enforcer" despite chances to withdraw, adding she was sure he would have gone through with the killing had police not intervened.
- Natland admitted to possessing a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver and ammunition but denied conspiracy to murder and must serve at least two-thirds of his term in custody. Natland's lawyer said the accused suffered from poor mental health and struggled with drug use.
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The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Foxtrot runs on cheap, expendable teenagers, so the only lever the law has is making the price of saying yes unbearable. A 19-year-old who flew in, collected two guns and checked into a hotel to wait for the job got twenty years because he meant to do it. Anything lighter tells the next teenager on Signal that the risk is small, and tells the handlers that the supply will never run out.
Establishment-critical narrative
Many of the young people pulled into these killings are barely adults, approached on gaming sites and messaging apps by strangers who never say who is paying. Reaching them before the offer arrives takes platforms that spot recruitment, schools and social workers who notice, and a justice system that treats exploited teenagers differently from the organizers who exploit them.
