Three Bulgarians have been convicted for surveillance of Russia in the UK and have been accused of setting a “honey circle” for targeting
A London jury convicted three UK-based Bulgarian nationals on Friday Monitor Russia The prosecutor is talking about the “industrial scale”.
The three are accused of putting their lives at risk as they act on behalf of Russian intelligence operations, surveillance across Europe between 2020 and 2023.
Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanov, 39, were convicted in London’s Central Criminal Court on Friday after a November trial.
The three people are entangled with one of their handlers or their sexual relationships with each other, denying the conspiracy, claiming that they don’t know who they are working for or being cheated by their superiors.
Metropolitan police through Reuters
The BBC reported that their plans were formulated in thousands of messages exchanged between cell leaders and were recovered by police. The news includes the plot of the kidnapping and killing some of the group’s targets, as well as plans to put them in what is called “Honeytrap” romance.
Prosecutors said they have surveillance of U.S. air bases in Germany, where Ukrainian troops are said to be undergoing training and discussing the kidnapping or killing of opponents of the Russian state.
They also allegedly tried to seduce a Bulgarian journalist who discovered Moscow’s involvement in 2018 Novicok A former Russian spy in Salisbury, England was poisoned and caught in a “honey bunch” with Gaberova.
The prosecutor said the leader discussed robbing and killing Beringar reporter Chriso Grozev, or kidnapped him and brought him to Russia.
According to the BBC, there are other jobs in the spy cell – Gaberova is a beautician, Ivanchev is the painter, and Roussev is at the chief technology officer of the London Finance Corporation.
Metropolitan police through Reuters
The BBC reported that the police investigation showed 221 cell phones, 495 SIM cards, 11 drones and devices that could extract data from the cell phone and eavesdrop on Wi-Fi activity.
The spy ring also includes two other defendants, Ringleader Orlin Roussev and his background double shambazov. They previously pleaded guilty to spy charges and possessed false identity documents.
Roussev, 47, is commanded by Austrian national Russian agent Jan Marsalek, who is in contact with Russian intelligence agencies, prosecutors said.
The BBC reported that Dzhambazov lived together with Ivanova and worked in health care, but Dzhambazov also had a relationship with Gaberova. According to the BBC, when police were arrested, the two were found together in bed – Ivanchev was in love with her in the past.
