British police arrested Thursday three people suspected of assisting a foreign intelligence service, saying the investigation related to Russia, the latest allegation of spying activities on behalf of Moscow in Britain.
The three, two men, aged 41 and 46, and a 35-year-old woman, were arrested in Essex, east of London, accused of offenses under the National Security Act, which was brought in two years ago to give new powers to target threats from foreign states.
"Through our recent national security casework, we're seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as 'proxies' being recruited by foreign intelligence services," said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of London police's Counter Terrorism Command.
London has repeatedly accused Russia or its agents of being behind spy plots and sabotage missions in Britain and across Europe, with the British domestic spy chief saying Russian operatives were trying to cause "mayhem."
The Kremlin has denied the accusations, saying the British government repeatedly blamed Russia for anything "bad" that happens in Britain.
In July, three men were found guilty of an arson attack on Ukraine-linked businesses in London which British officials said had been ordered by Russia's Wagner mercenary group, with two others admitting their involvement in the attack.
That followed the conviction in March of a team of Bulgarians for being part of a spy unit being run on behalf of the Kremlin.
"Two young British men are awaiting sentencing after they were recruited by the Wagner Group – effectively the Russian state – to carry out an arson at Ukrainian-linked warehouse," Murphy said.
"They are facing potentially lengthy custodial sentences, although, to be clear, today's arrests are in no way connected to that investigation."