Three Arrested in Essex Over Alleged Russian Espionage Links

 

UK authorities have arrested three people in Essex on suspicion of assisting Russia’s intelligence services. According to police, a 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were detained at a property in Grays, while a 46-year-old man was taken into custody at another address nearby.

All three are under investigation for offences under Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023, which covers aiding a foreign intelligence service. They were transported to a London police station for questioning.

Dominic Murphy, Commander of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter-Terrorism Command, said the arrests reflect a growing trend of “proxies” being recruited by foreign agencies. He referenced an earlier case involving two British men allegedly recruited by Russia-linked Wagner Group operatives to set fire to a warehouse connected to Ukraine. However, he clarified that the current case is not linked to that investigation.

Murphy warned that anyone approached by foreign states to carry out illegal activities in the UK faces investigation and prosecution. “There are serious consequences for those convicted,” he stated.

The three suspects have been released on bail as inquiries continue, and Scotland Yard has not revealed their nationalities.

This latest development follows a series of high-profile espionage cases in Britain, including a “honeytrap” spy ring jailed in May for secretly passing information to Russia for three years. That cell, made up of Bulgarian nationals with EU settled status, reportedly operated from a UK guesthouse and was directed by Jan Marsalek on behalf of Russia’s GRU military intelligence and FSB state security service. Marsalek, 43, remains at large under an Interpol Red Notice.