The three Bulgarians arrested for being 'Russian spies' in UK had posed as journalists

The three Bulgarian nationals arrested in the UK on suspicions for spying for Russia remain in custody. They are due to answer police bail at the end of September and to appear in court next January.

The Bulgarians, Orlin Rusev, Biser Dzhambazov and Katrin Ivanova, were arrested in February along with two others who were later released. British media have revealed new details about the activities of the three detainees on the island.

Three Bulgarians detained in the UK on suspicion of spying for Russia

"Putin spies seized in the UK", "Russia’s Northholt spy ring arrested", "Bulgarians suspected of spying in UK for Russian security services" and "The spies next door". These are some of the headlines on the front pages of almost all British media today.

The topic of the arrested Bulgarians is also a leading one for the Times newspaper, which reports that Orlin Rusev, Biser Dzhambazov and Katrin Ivanova also posed as journalists. During a search of the home of one of the detainees, fake press cards and clothing were found, which they used to impersonate employees of two popular American documentary TV channels. The newspaper quoted its Scotland Yard sources as saying that the three, disguised as a television crew, had been gathering information at various locations in London as well as in Germany and Montenegro.

Who are the three Bulgarians detained in the UK on suspicion of spying for Russia?

The detained Bulgarians in the UK were investigated on a tip-off by journalist Hristo Grozev

The "brains" of the operation are said to be 45-year-old Rusev, who is known to be a former adviser to the Ministry of Energy, has had business dealings in Russia, and owns a company tracking communications and electronic signals. He is detained in a guest house in Great Yarmouth. It was searched thoroughly and there was a noticeable police presence around it for days, and a neighbour also testified to the BBC.

"There was a huge tent. I thought, oh, someone's been killed? Terrible! People were constantly coming and going. Civilian policemen. They were all wearing black masks."

A search of the house uncovered the means to make fake IDs. The site is just a mile from Northholt Air Force Base, the airport often used by British secretaries, foreign delegations and members of the British royal family.

According to a former MI5 officer, the Bulgarians may have been part of a "support network" in a relevant criminal scheme to which they had possible involvement, but were not key figures.

"Usually the cases we hear about in the media involve professional intelligence officers who are sent and work under diplomatic cover, in an embassy, a trade delegation or something similar. If they are found out, they have diplomatic immunity. So they are quietly expelled from the UK and not prosecuted. But in this case we seem to have three very low-level operatives. The charges are very specific, they are only about false identity documents. So, in theory, they may have been acting as a support network, providing things to others who may have worked in intelligence.

British media, including the BBC and Sky News, report that the trio are due to answer police bail at the end of September. The case against them is due to start in January. As of now, they have pleaded neither guilty nor not guilty.

Under British law, if found guilty of falsifying documents, they could receive up to 10 years in prison. Endangering national security, which is also considered espionage for an enemy state, is punishable by up to 14 years behind bars.

Images by BNT, BGNES