British police mentioned Thursday that they’ve arrested three individuals on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The group – a 41-year-old man, 46-year-old man and 35-year-old lady – had been all arrested on suspicion of aiding a overseas intelligence service within the county of Essex, northeast of London, a press release from London’s Metropolitan Police mentioned.
They had been arrested as half of a counter terrorist investigation into suspected National Security Act offenses, the assertion mentioned, and brought to a police station in London.
Officers carried out searches on the two addresses in Essex. All three individuals have since been launched on conditional bail, whereas the investigation stays ongoing, police mentioned.
NCS has approached the Russian embassy in London for remark.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Counter Terrorism Command, mentioned: “Through our recent national security casework, we’re seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign intelligence services.”
Murphy cited a recent arson attack at a warehouse run by a Ukrainian man in Leyton – a city in east London – carried out by proxies on behalf of Russia’s Wagner Group, for example of this. However, he burdened that Thursday’s arrests weren’t related to that investigation.
UK and Russia relations have cratered since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the Kremlin has denied earlier accusations of spying.