A spy network, led from Great Yarmouth, that worked for Russian intelligence, was found guilty of espionage.
This spy network was named ‘The Minions’. They worked for Russian intelligence, specifically GRU. The group did surveillance for about three years. Orlin Roussev, 47, led the spy operation.
Roussev ran things from a guesthouse near the sea in Great Yarmouth. He got over 200,000 euros to pay for spying. Biser Dzhambazov was his second-in-command.
Dzhambazov had a romance with Ivanova and Gaberova. They targeted people and locations for Russia. They planned to grab data from Ukrainian soldiers training in Germany.
The group talked about using Gaberova as bait, referring to her as a “lashes queen”. They planned to target a journalist, and also discussed terrorizing the Kazakhstan embassy. Kidnapping someone in the UK was also discussed.
Police arrested the spies in February 2023. Dzhambazov was found with Gaberova, not Ivanova. Police found spy gadgets at Roussev’s base, a former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth.
The spies hid devices in normal items such as a rock, Coke bottle, and even a toy. They also had fake IDs and passport materials. Ivanova and Dzhambazov shared a flat where fake passports were found.
Police found messages on Roussev’s phone linking to an agent, Jan Marsalek. Marsalek is wanted by Interpol. The jury found three spies guilty.
Ivanova was caught with fake IDs too. Roussev and Dzhambazov admitted to the spy plot. The spies could face up to fourteen years in jail. They showed no emotion when the verdict happened.
A counter-terrorism head stated this was major espionage on behalf of Russia. He stated it was among the largest, most complex type of foreign government spying in the UK.
The counter-terrorism head felt proud of the success. He stated they found tools like a spy novel and were truly sophisticated. He had never seen such a complex operation before.