The UK’s Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday that they have charged two men and a woman with ‘identity document offences.’ The Met’s statement came after the BBC reported the group was accused of spying for Russia. Those charged, said to be Bulgarian nationals, were remanded to custody in February before being released on police bail.
JURIST spoke directly to the Metropolitan Police Services Press Office, who told JURIST News:
On 8 February 2023, officers from the Met’s Specialist Operations arrested five people on suspicion of an offence under the Official Secrets Act 1911.
[A] A 45-year-old man at an address in Norfolk.
[B] A 42-year-old man, at an address in west London.
[C] A 32-year-old woman, at an address in central London.
[D] A 31-year-old man, at an address in west London.
[E] A 29-year-old woman, at an address in north London.
[A], [B] and [C] were subsequently charged with an offence under section 4 of the Identity Documents Act 2010.
In relation to the Official Secrets Act investigation, all five individuals were later released on police bail and are due to return in September 2023.
The investigation is being led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command. Enquiries continue.
They also sent to JURIST the details of those charged:
[A] Orlin Roussev, 45 (06/02/1978) of Princes Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk;
[B] Biser Dzambazov, 42 (21/04/1981), of High Road, Harrow; and,
[C] Katrin Ivanova, 32 (01/07/1991) of High Rd, Harrow, first appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 13 February 2023 each charged with possession of false identity documents with improper intention (contrary to section 4 of the Identity Documents Act 2010).
They last appeared at the Old Bailey on 31 July.
They are remanded, and are next due to appear at the Old Bailey on a future date yet to be fixed.
Russian intelligence operations in the UK have a long and complex history that spans several decades. In 2006, a former Russian FSB officer and outspoken critic of the Russian government, Alexander Litvinenko, was poisoned with radioactive polonium-210 in London. He died in November 2006. An official inquiry in the UK concluded that his killing was probably approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin and carried out by Russian intelligence agents.
Then in 2018, former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned with a Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, UK. The UK government attributed the attack to the Russian government, leading to tensions between the two countries and diplomatic expulsions. The Russian military intelligence agency GRU has been linked to various cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns in the UK and other countries. Notably, the GRU was implicated in the 2018 cyberattack on the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in The Hague.
