County man, 20, ‘organised London attacks on behalf of Wagner’
RUSSIAN TERROR GROUP SAID TO HAVE USED AGENT TO RECRUIT AND PAY ARSONISTS TO TARGET FIRMS WITH LINKS TO UKRAINE
A MAN from Leicestershire is accused of orchestrating arson attacks on Ukrainian-linked businesses in London on behalf of the proscribed terror organisation the Wagner Group.
Dylan Earl, of Elmesthorpe, has been charged under the National Security Act 2023 – the first case to involve alleged offences under the new spy laws.
The 20-year-old is accused of being in contact with a handler in the Wagner Group before carrying out reconnaissance of targets “in relation to activity intended to benefit Russia”.
Court documents show Earl is accused of recruiting and paying others to carry out an arson attack on Ukrainian-linked businesses at an industrial unit in Leyton, east London .
The March 20 blaze required 60 firefighters to bring it under control, and the alleged target of the fire is
This is a highly significant moment and investigation for us
Commander Dominic Murphy, Met Counter Terrorism
labelled as “Mr X” in the charges.
Mr Justice Jeremy Baker ordered that reporting restrictions be lifted on the case yesterday, which coincided with two co-defendants of Earl appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
One of them, Jake Reeves, aged 22, is accused of accepting cash, knowing it was from a foreign intelligence service.
He was remanded into custody and appeared alongside fellow 22-year-old Dmitrijus Paulauska, who is charged with failing to disclose information to police about terrorist acts.
Two other defendants, 60-yearold Paul English and 21-year-old Nii Mensah, have also been charged with aggravated arson.
All five men are due to appear at the Central Criminal Court – the Old Bailey – for a further hearing on May 10. The defendants are yet to enter pleas to the charges.
Commander Dominic Murphy, Head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism
Command, said: “This is a highly significant moment and investigation for us.
“Not only are the charges that have been authorised by the CPS extremely serious, but it is also the first time that we have arrested, and now charged, anyone using the powers and legislation brought in under the National Security Act.
“We have spoken publicly in recent times about various threats linked to national security that we have been facing, and the increase in operational activity required across counter terrorism policing to meet these.
“While these are very serious allegations, I want to reassure the public that we do not believe there to be any wider threat to them in connection with this matter.
“This investigation remains ongoing, but now that charges have been brought about I would urge everyone to respect the criminal justice process and not to speculate or comment further in relation to this case.”
The Wagner Group, a Russian private military company, was proscribed as a terrorist group in September last year. Its former leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, was killed in a plane crash last summer.
Mr Prigozhin and his troops played a major role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He staged a short-lived coup against the authorities in Moscow in June last year, and died in a plane crash in August.
Security minister Tom Tugendhat MP said the charges against Earl and Reeves demonstrated the value of the National Security Act 2023 “in protecting the UK from those who threaten our way of life”.
Mr Tugendhat said: “We will continue to work with partners to crack down on threats from Russia and anyone facilitating hostile activities.”
The Act was introduced to target those working for hostile states within the UK.
The charges faced by all five men are as follows:
Earl, of Elmesthorpe, is charged with aggravated arson reckless as to whether life will be endangered, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971, preparatory conduct to an act endangering life or a person or an act creating a serious risk to the health and safety of the public in the United Kingdom contrary to section 18 National Security Act 2023, and assisting a foreign intelligence service contrary to section 3 National Security Act 2023.
Reeves, of Croydon, south London, is accused of aggravated arson reckless as to whether life will be endangered, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971 and agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 17(2) and (11) of the National Security Act 2023.
English, of Roehampton, southwest London, and Mensah, of Thornton Heath, south London, are both charged with aggravated arson reckless as to whether life will be endangered, contrary to section 1 of the Criminal Damage Act 1971.
Paulauska, of Croydon, is accused of having information about terrorist acts, contrary to section 38B of the Terrorism Act 2000.