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Vanya Gaberova is a Russian espionage agent posing as a beauty consultant in England. Photo/Facebook/BBC
LONDON – Five people suspected of being Russian spies will be charged in England with conspiracy to commit espionage.
Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Ivan Stoyanov and Vanya Gaberova will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The Bulgarian national is accused of conspiring to collect information useful to the enemy between August 2020 and February 2023.
This follows an investigation carried out by the Metropolitan Police.
The defendants allegedly worked in an operational spy cell for the Russian security services and this work involved conducting surveillance on targets.
They are accused of carrying out active operations in the UK and Europe as well as collecting and conveying information to the Russian state.
Roussev, 45, allegedly ran the operation from Britain and acted as a liaison with those receiving intelligence information.
Officers searching properties in London and Norfolk occupied by the three defendants – Roussev, Dzhambazov, 41, and Ivanova, 31 – found suspected fake passports and official identity documents for the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
According to the BBC, Vanya Gaberova is known as an award-winning beautician who is among five Bulgarians accused of conspiring to collect information useful to the enemy.
Some documents contain photos of Roussev and Dzhambazov. Roussev allegedly committed the forgery himself.