Three Bulgarian citizens have been charged in the United Kingdom on suspicion of espionage for Russia. The defendants were arrested in February as part of a group of five who the Metropolitan Police, responsible for espionage, said worked for the Russian security services. According to reports, they also had several passports and various personal documents in their possession.
The three suspected spies were active in different regions of the United Kingdom, where a 45-year-old man was arrested in a settlement in Norfolk, north-east London, while a 41-year-old man and a 31-year-old were arrested. A woman is registered in one of the districts of London. The suspects have been active on the island for a long time, working in various positions. Depending on their profile, they have worked as business owners, drivers, and other similar jobs. According to the news, they also took an active part in communal life, mainly helping Bulgarians to become acquainted with “the culture and mores of British society”.
It is expected that the accused will be brought to trial next January.
In Great Britain, Russian espionage is a very sensitive topic. Since the Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko was killed in the country in 2006, then in 2018 they wanted to execute Sergei Skripal in the country. The British government recently expelled a number of Russian diplomats from the country.
Cover photo taken during the 2018 Sergei Skripal case. Cover photo credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
