Three orders for suspicion of espionage for Russia

Three people were arrested for suspicion of spying on behalf of Russia, the metropolitan police said.

A 41 -year -old man and a 35 -year -old woman were arrested at an address in Grays, Essex, said strength. A 46 -year -old man was arrested at a separate address in the same area.

All three were arrested for suspicion of having helped a foreign intelligence service, unlike article 3 of the National Security Act (NSA) 2023 and were taken to the police station in London.

The MET said that the country to which allegations relate is Russia.

The police carried out searches for the two addresses in the Essex and the three people have since been released under the bail of the police with conditions, while the investigation remains in progress, said the MET.

CDR Dominic Murphy, head of the MET counter-terrorism command, said the force had seen an increasing number of people in the United Kingdom recruited by foreign intelligence services.

He added that recent arrests were not linked to the case of two British men who are currently waiting for a sentence after being recruited by the Russian mercenary group, Wagner, to make a criminal fire in a warehouse belonging to a company related to the Ukrainian.

The Wagner group is a private military organization that acts on behalf of the Russian state.

The British government prohibited it as a terrorist group in September 2023.