Two men and a woman have been arrested in Essex on suspicion of spying for Russia, the Metropolitan Police has said. The three were detained in Grays, Essex, following a counter-terrorism investigation into suspected offences under the National Security Act.
The suspects, aged 41, 46 and 35, were arrested at two separate homes and taken to a police station in London. They have since been bailed while inquiries continue. Scotland Yard declined to disclose their nationalities.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's counter-terrorism command, warned of an increasing number of individuals being recruited as 'proxies' by foreign intelligence services. He highlighted a separate, unrelated case where two British men were recruited by the Wagner Group to carry out arson at a Ukrainian-linked warehouse.
Murphy said: 'Anyone who might be contacted by and tempted into carrying out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the UK should think again. This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted.'
The arrests come amid heightened concern over Russian espionage. Last year, MI5 Director General Ken McCallum warned that Russia's GRU intelligence agency was seeking to 'generate mayhem on British and European streets' using proxies.
