On a February night in a Stockholm suburb, Atilla Azimov, an 18‑year‑old, opened fire on 20‑year‑old Murad Abdelkader, killing him for cash. The shooter was hired by the Foxtrot Network, an organised crime group linked to the Iranian regime and notorious for violence‑as‑a‑service Vaa S tactics.

Since 2022 the group is thought to have carried out about 35 murders across Europe, including attacks on Israeli targets and explosive plots. Teenagers are recruited through social media, given “gamified” instructions that mimic video games, and told the job is a “calculated outsourcing of murder” to vulnerable youth, says Andy Kraag, head of Europol’s European Serious and Organised Crime Centre.

The case of Norwegian teen Johannes Natland illustrates the system: he was approached by an online handler, paid 270,000 NOK for a hit in Huddersfield, and was guided by a network of pseudonyms such as Agent shooters and “1”. He was arrested the next morning, still unsure of his target.

Investigations have led to over 280 arrests, including key figures like Ali Shehad Ahmed, but the network’s leader, Rawa Majid, remains in Tehran, continuing to orchestrate attacks on Iran’s enemies.