Spy ring passed secrets to Russia for three years & carried out surveillance on Kremlin targets in UK, court told
A SPY ring passed secrets to Russia for three years and carried out surveillance on Kremlin targets in the UK, a court heard.
Bulgarian nationals Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, are all accused of espionage.
The trio carried out a “sophisticated” surveillance operation by using fake identities, jurors heard.
They allegedly plotted with a Russian agent, “Rupert Ticz”, said to be Austrian national Jan Marsalek, to obtain information directly or indirectly useful to Russia.
This included spying on “prominent” individuals of obvious interest to Russia – such as dissidents who had fled to Britain for their own safety, it was said.
Alison Morgan KC, prosecuting, said: “This case is about espionage activity.
“Between 2020 and 2023 these three defendants together with a number of other people spied for the benefit of Russia.
“Over a period of nearly three years they sought to gather information for the benefit of Russia, an enemy of the UK, information about various targets, both people and physical locations. Information of particular interest to the Russian state.
“Their activity caused obvious and inevitable prejudice to the safety and interests of the United Kingdom.”
The Old Bailey heard the group deployed “advanced technology” to acquire information and compile detailed reports.
They would often allegedly follow their targets around Britain in surveillance operations then report back to the Russian state.
In return, they were allegedly paid “significant amounts of money“, it was said.
Ms Morgan told jurors: “You may think that it is obvious that if a group of individuals conduct espionage activity of this type planned in the UK but for the benefit for Russia, it is damaging to our national security interests.
“You may also think that it is obvious that throughout this period Russia can properly be described as an enemy of the UK. Enemy for these purposes includes any country which represents a threat to our national security.”
The defendants have denied a charge of conspiracy to spy between August 30 2020 and February 8 2023.
Ivanova has denied a second charge of possession of false identity documents with improper intention under section 4 of the Identity Documents Act 2010.
Two more defendants, Orlin Roussev and Biser Dzhambazov, have pleaded guilty to espionage charges, the court was told
The trial continues.