UK police detain three over foreign spy doubts

British counter-terrorism police have arrested three individuals for suspicious activities of conducting espionage on behalf of Russia on Thursday, September 18, 2025.

The operation, which took place in the county of Essex northeast of London, led to the detention of two men, aged 41 and 46, and a 35-year-old woman.

London’s Metropolitan Police official statement disclosed: “Detainees were held on doubts of assisting a foreign intelligence service.”

The suspects were apprehended as part of an investigation into alleged offenses under the National Security Act, recently strengthened legislation designed to combat modern threats of espionage and sabotage.

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Counter Terrorism Command expressed: “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 pointed out a recent arson attack on a Ukrainian-linked warehouse in east London, allegedly carried out by individuals connected to Russia’s Wagner Group, as a prime example of this proxy threat.

In addition to that, authorities confirmed that Thursday's arrests were not connected to that specific investigation.

After officers conducted searches at two addresses in Essex and investigation, all three individuals were released on conditional bail pending further inquiries.