Six arrested for operating a Russian spy ring in UK

A group of six Bulgarian nationals residing in the UK have been convicted of operating a Russian spy ring, following an extensive counterintelligence investigation by the Metropolitan Police.

The convictions, handed down after a three-month trial at the Old Bailey, mark a significant disruption of foreign espionage activities in the UK and Europe.

The group, led by 46-year-old Orlin Roussev, was found to have carried out surveillance and intelligence-gathering operations on behalf of the Russian state, including monitoring journalists, former political figures, and military sites.

Three members of the group—Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova, and Tihomir Ivanchev—were convicted of conspiracy to spy under the Criminal Law Act 1977, while Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, and Ivan Stoyanov pleaded guilty to espionage charges before the trial commenced.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, highlighted the case as an example of evolving threats to UK security. “This case is a clear example of the increasing amount of state threat casework we are dealing with in the UK – particularly linked to Russia. It also highlights a relatively new phenomenon whereby espionage is being ‘outsourced’ by certain states,” he said.

The investigation, which uncovered over 200,000 messages and seized thousands of items, revealed that Roussev had direct contact with Jan Marsalek, an Austrian national with links to Russian intelligence services. The group’s operations spanned several European countries, targeting individuals and organisations deemed to be working against Russian interests.

Among their activities, the group conducted surveillance on two investigative journalists, staged protests at the Kazakhstan embassy in London to influence diplomatic relations, and monitored a US military site in Germany where Ukrainian troops were believed to be training. Additionally, they tracked a designated ‘foreign agent’ in Montenegro as part of their covert operations.

The investigation led to a significant raid on Roussev’s residence in Great Yarmouth, where officers found “sophisticated spying equipment such as listening devices, concealed cameras and a fake ID card printer.” Over 1,800 items were seized from the property, providing crucial evidence of the group’s extensive espionage operations.

Murphy underscored the significance of the case, stating: “While the outsourcing of espionage activity might suggest that recent efforts by the UK to thwart direct Russian activity have been effective, it means that we also have to guard against this new kind of emerging threat.”

The group will be sentenced at the Old Bailey in May.