The Standard reports that three people were arrested in the town of Grays, Essex, England on suspicion of assisting Russian intelligence services. The UK police operation reflects growing concern over foreign states using British citizens as local proxies.

Suspects arrested under new spy law in UK suburb

According to The Standard, two men and a woman were detained in Grays, a commuter town located east of London. The Metropolitan Police said the arrests were made as part of a national security investigation targeting individuals believed to be working with or for Russian intelligence.

Authorities stated that the suspects were taken into custody on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, under section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA), 2023. The suspects include a 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman arrested at the same residential address, and a 46-year-old man arrested separately nearby.

All three were transferred to a police station in London for questioning. Following searches at both Essex locations, the individuals were released on bail with conditions. The investigation is ongoing.

Police say Russia is now recruiting local “proxies” in the UK

Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the UK’s Counter Terrorism Command, warned that recent cases show a rising trend of British citizens being recruited as proxies by hostile intelligence agencies.

“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 said.

He cited a separate case involving two British men who were recruited by the Wagner Group — a Russian state-affiliated paramilitary organization — to commit arson against a warehouse linked to Ukraine. The men have been convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Murphy clarified that the Essex arrests are unrelated to that incident but urged anyone contacted by foreign actors to think twice.

“This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted,” he said, adding that there could be “very serious consequences for those who are convicted.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on 15 September that the State Protection Service neutralized a drone flying above Warsaw’s government quarter. The incident ended with the detention of two Belarusian citizens, and police are now investigating.

Tusk wrote:

“A short while ago, the State Protection Service neutralized a drone operating over government buildings (Parkowa) and Belweder. Two Belarusian citizens were detained. The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.”

Drone spotted over presidential residence

Associated Press reported that the aircraft was detected near Belweder Castle, the official residence of Poland’s president. Colonel Boguslaw Piorkowski of the State Protection Service confirmed that two of his personnel stationed at Belweder spotted the drone above the compound and acted quickly. The operators were detained shortly afterward.

Piorkowski told AP that the device was not shot down but landed once the suspected operators were apprehended. The exact type of drone and the means of neutralization have not been disclosed.

Officials warn against hasty conclusions

Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Poland’s minister of development funds and regional policy, told TVN 24 that “the impression is that this is not something that flew in” from abroad but rather launched within Poland. She urged against rushing to conclusions or connecting the incident to Russian drone incursions that took place last week.

Rising tensions after Russian drone incursions and Belarusian spy activity in Poland

Militarnyi noted that on 9 September, Polish authorities detained a Belarusian agent and decided to expel a Belarusian diplomat who supported hostile activities against Poland. That arrest was part of a wider operation with Romanian and Czech services targeting a Belarusian intelligence network active in Europe. The outlet noted that it is possible agents linked to that network were also involved in launching the Warsaw drone.