Three people have been arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of Russia, the Metropolitan Police has said.
A 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were arrested at an address in Grays, Essex, while a 46-year-old man was arrested at a separate address in the same area.
All three were arrested on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA) 2023 and they were taken to a police station in London.
The Met stated that the allegations relate to espionage activities associated with Russia.
Officers executed searches at the two addresses in Essex, and all three individuals have since been released on police bail with conditions, as the investigation remains ongoing.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, revealed there has been an alarming increase in the number of people in the UK being recruited by foreign intelligence services. He warned, Anyone who might be contacted by and tempted into carrying out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the UK should think again. This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted with potentially very serious consequences.
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