British Counter-Terror Police Detain Trio in Russian Espionage Probe

British counter-terrorism officers apprehended two men and a woman in southeast England on allegations of espionage for Russia, as stated by the Metropolitan Police on Thursday.

According to a police announcement, «All three were detained on suspicion of aiding a foreign intelligence agency, in violation of section 3 of the National Security Act.» They were subsequently taken to a London police station but released on conditional bail.

The 41-year-old man and the 35-year-old woman were arrested at the same location, while the 46-year-old man was taken into custody at a separate site in the Grays area of Essex.

Dominic Murphy, the head of Counter Terrorism Command, remarked, «We are witnessing a rising trend of individuals we classify as ‘proxies’ being enlisted by foreign intelligence agencies.»

These arrests follow the imprisonment of six Bulgarians earlier this year for their involvement in a Russian espionage network operating from a former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, a seaside town in eastern England.

British intelligence chief Ken McCallum cautioned last year that Russian intelligence services aimed to create «chaos» in the U.K. in retaliation for its support of Ukraine.