In a major national security investigation, three individuals suspected of spying for Russia have been arrested and charged in the UK, as revealed by the BBC.
The suspects, all Bulgarian citizens, were detained in February and have remained in custody. They are believed to have been working on behalf of Russian security services.
The charges include possession of identity documents with “improper intention,” and they are alleged to have knowingly held fake documents.
These forged items encompass passports, identity cards, and various other documents from several countries including the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
Arrested under the Official Secrets Act by Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism detectives, the three individuals have been residing in the UK for years, employed in different fields, and living in suburban areas.
One of the suspects, Roussev, has been known for business dealings in Russia, and he moved to the UK in 2009. He previously worked in a technical capacity in financial services and later owned a business in signals intelligence, involving the interception of communications or electronic signals. Roussev’s online profile also notes his advisory role to the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy.
The other two suspects, Dzhambazov and Ivanova, were described as a couple by former neighbors in Harrow. Dzhambazov has worked as a hospital driver, while Ivanova has identified herself as a laboratory assistant for a private health business on her LinkedIn profile.
Having moved to the UK about ten years ago, they operated a community organization aiding Bulgarian people, including acquainting them with British culture.
Online Bulgarian state documents reveal they also assisted electoral commissions in London to facilitate voting for Bulgarian citizens living abroad.
