Five ‘Russian spies’ who ‘hid behind suburban UK lives to gather intel for spy cell’ to appear in court today
FIVE Bulgarians living in the UK are due to appear in court today charged with spying for Russia.
The three men and two women are accused of conspiring to commit espionage following a major Met Police investigation.
Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova, 31, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
The group allegedly conspired to gather information that would be useful to an enemy between August 2020 and February this year.
They are accused of working in an operational spy cell for the Russian security services that involved conducting surveillance on targets.
The five defendants were arrested under the British Official Secrets Act following raids on properties in London and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
It is understood MI5 allegedly passed the intelligence on to the Met Police.
Last month it emerged Dzhambazov and Ivanova had lived an unsuspecting life for 10 years.
Dzhambazov has reportedly worked as a hospital driver, while Ivanova worked as a private sector laboratory assistant.
The pair would visit their neighbours with pies and cakes as gifts and were popular figures locally in Harrow, North London.
They were previously charged alongside Roussev with possession of false identity documents with “improper intention”.
Gaberova meanwhile is an award-winning beautician who ran a salon called Pretty Woman in Acton, West London.
Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, today said: “The CPS has authorised a charge of conspiracy to conduct espionage against three men and two women suspected of spying for Russia.
“Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova, 31, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, will be charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023.
“Roussev, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova were previously charged on 11 February 2023 with possession of false identity documents with improper intention under section 4 of the Identity Documents Act 2010.
“The charges follow an investigation by the Metropolitan Police‘s Counter Terrorism Command.”