Briton charged with being Russian agent
20-year-old recruited team of arsonists to launch attack on Ukraine aid centre in London, court told
A Briton has been charged with working for russia’s Wagner Group after allegedly picking out a Ukrainian aid centre in London for an arson attack .
Dylan Earl is the first person to be prosecuted under the national Security Act brought in last year to target those working for hostile states.
the 20-year-old from Leicestershire is said to be at the centre of an extraordinary russian attack on British soil to disrupt Ukrainian supplies.
He is accused of recruiting other Britons who were paid by a ‘foreign intelligence service’ to carry out an arson raid on an aid collection centre in east London to ‘ send a message’ on behalf of russia that assistance to Ukraine will be met with punishment.
it is said to be the first attack orchestrated by the Wagner Group in the UK.
Details of the alleged plot were revealed yesterday after reporting restrictions were lifted by a judge following eight arrests.
Earl is alleged to have masterminded the attack, targeting two industrial units in Leyton owned by a Ukrainian logistics firm. the locations are advertised on charity websites as an aid collection centre for Ukraine.
Eight fire engines and 60 firefighters spent more than four hours tackling the blaze on March 20. David Cawthorne, prosecuting, told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that Earl had been recruited online by Wagner.
He told the court: ‘Mr Earl acted as a conduit. He was recruited online by those acting on behalf of russia and the terrorist organisation the Wagner Group to recruit others and engage in malign activity. ‘the arson which caused a significant fire in a commercial premises was intended to send out the message that if you assist Ukraine there will be punishment.’
Earl faces a series of charges including assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out reconnaissance of targets, preparatory conduct and aggravated arson ‘ in relation to activity intended to benefit russia’. Jake reeves, 22 and from Croydon, south London, is accused of accepting money from russia to carry out the attack and arson.
Paul English, 60, from roehampton in south-west London, and nii Kojo Mensah, 21, from Croydon, are also charged with aggravated arson.
But they are said to have been unaware of any link to Wagner, which became a proscribed terror group in the UK last year.
Dmitrijus Paulauska, a 22-yearold pilot who has dual Britishrussian nationality, is charged with failing to disclose information to police about terrorist acts.
Jan newbold, prosecuting, told the court that Paulauska was made aware of reeves’ plan as a proposed arson with potential kidnap but failed to notify police. no pleas have been entered to the charges and all five defendants have been ordered to appear at the old Bailey on May 10.
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.’
Security minister tom tugendhat said the charges had shown the value of the national Security Act. He added: ‘We will continue to work with partners to crack down on threats from russia and anyone facilitating hostile activities.’
‘Carrying out reconnaissance’