Thursday, October 23, 2025 - Authorities in London have arrested three men suspected of assisting Russia’s intelligence service, as part of a widening investigation into espionage activities under the UK’s National Security Act.
The suspects aged 44, 45, and 48 were detained early
Thursday morning in coordinated operations conducted by Counter Terrorism
Policing at multiple addresses across west and central London. They are
currently in custody.
According to the Metropolitan Police, the men were arrested
under Section 3 of the National Security Act, which makes it an offence to
materially assist a foreign intelligence service.
Commander Dominic Murphy of Counter Terrorism Policing said
the arrests form part of ongoing efforts to dismantle networks of individuals
acting as intermediaries for foreign powers. “We are seeing an increasing
number of who we would describe as ‘proxies’ being recruited by foreign
intelligence services and these arrests are directly related to our ongoing
efforts to disrupt this type of activity,” Murphy said.
He issued a stark warning to anyone approached to carry out
espionage or related offences on behalf of another country. “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 — and
there are potentially very serious consequences for those who are convicted,”
he said.
None of the suspects have been publicly named, and officials
have not disclosed the specific nature of the alleged offences. However,
further searches are being conducted at another address in west London as part
of the investigation.
The arrests come amid heightened efforts by UK authorities
to counter the influence of foreign intelligence operations and prevent
individuals within Britain from being exploited as conduits for espionage or
subversive activities.
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