The UK’s Crown Prosecision Service (CPS)
announced that five Bulgarian nationals have been arrested under suspicion of spying for Russia. According to the CPS, the quintet will face charges of “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.”
Nick Price, the Head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, issued a
statement asserting that charges have been authorised against the five for conspiring to gather information helpful to a state enemy. He emphasised that the accused have the right to a fair trial and reminded everyone that criminal proceedings against the defendants are currently active.
The arrested individuals are reported to be Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Ivan Stoyanov, and Vanya Gaberova. The previous charges against Roussev, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova for possessing false identity documents with improper intention were
announced in February.
All five of the suspects are scheduled to appear at the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 26. This latest development underscores the relentless effort by law enforcement agencies to safeguard national security from external threats and reinforces the demand for stringent counterespionage measures across the world.