Three Bulgarian nationals have been found guilty of spying for Russia, in what police have described as “one of the largest” foreign intelligence operations in the UK.
Vanya Gaberova, 30, Katrin Ivanova, 33, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, were all living in London and part of a group who travelled Europe carrying out surveillance on journalists, a former politician and a US military base in Germany between 2020 and 2023.
While the trio had day jobs as a beautician, a healthcare worker, and a decorator, the cell they were part of plotted to kidnap and kill targets, as well as planned to ensnare them in so-called honeytraps.
The Metropolitan Police’s Cdr Dominic Murphy says the methods they used were the sort of thing you would “expect to see in a spy novel”.
Gaberova, of Euston, north London, Ivanova, of Harrow, north London, and Ivanchev, of Acton, west London, were convicted of conspiracy to spy, while Ivanova was also convicted of possessing multiple false identity documents.
They were working for fellow Bulgarian Orlin Roussev, 47, who ran the spy ring from a 33-room former guest house in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.
After more than 32 hours of deliberations, a jury at the Old Bailey reached unanimous verdicts.
All three were found guilty of being involved in conspiracy, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Law Act 1977, to commit an offence under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911.
It carries a maximum jail term of 14 years. Investigators traced at least €210,000 flowing from Roussev to other members of the gang.
Officers seized 221 mobile phones, 495 sim cards, 258 hard drives, 33 audio recording devices, 55 surveillance cameras, 16 radios and 11 drones plus wifi eavesdroppers, electronic jammers and 75 fake passports and identity documents in 55 different names. The vast bulk were recovered in Great Yarmouth.
Ivanova was also found guilty of possessing fake passports and identity documents at her flat in Harrow, where she lived with Dzhambazov.
Mr Justice Hilliard KC, presiding, remanded the defendants into custody until sentencing between 7 May and 12 May.
