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UK Police Detain Three in Essex for Alleged Russian Intelligence Ties During Trump’s UK Trip
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Counter Terrorism Policing has arrested three people in Essex as part of an investigation into suspected National Security Act offences, led by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.
According to the police on September 18, a 41-year-old man [A] and a 35-year-old woman [B] were detained at an address in Grays, Essex, while a 46-year-old man [C] was arrested at a separate location in the same area. All three were taken into custody on September 17 on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act 2023. The allegations relate to Russia.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Counter Terrorism Command, said: “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.”
Murphy noted that two young British men were awaiting sentencing after being recruited by the Wagner Group—effectively the Russian state—to carry out an arson attack at a warehouse linked to Ukraine. He explained that they faced potentially lengthy prison terms, while stressing that the latest arrests were not connected to that investigation.
He added that anyone approached to carry out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state in the UK should reconsider, as such acts would be investigated and prosecuted, with potentially very serious consequences for those convicted.
Police confirmed that searches were carried out at the two properties in Essex. All three suspects have since been released on bail with conditions while the investigation continues.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrived at Windsor Castle, becoming the first American presidential couple in history to be formally welcomed there.
Earlier, Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office and Criminal Police Bureau exposed a terrorist network that planned a series of coordinated attacks across several European countries.
