RUSSIAN SPIES CARRIED OUT PUTIN'S DIRTY WORK IN UK

MEMBERS of a Russian spy ring who snooped on “an almost industrial scale” for Vladimir Putin are facing years behind bars.

- By Michael Knowles Home Affairs Editor

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said it was a “clear example” of Moscow hiring proxies and criminals and warned: “We will see more of that.”

Bulgarians Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova and Tihomir Ivanchev were found guilty after one of the biggest investigations of its kind. Mr Murphy also revealed more than one in five counterterrorism investigations are now linked to hostile states trying to wreak havoc in Britain.

He said: "There has been a very regular stream of sabotage and other activities linked to the Russian intelligence services." Ringleader Orlin Roussev, 47, and Bizer Dzhambazov, 43, had previously pleaded guilty conspiracy to spy for Putin.

Ivan Stoyanov, 33, to from Greenford, West London, was also implicated in some of the spying.

Counter-terrorism police and MI5 were able to smash the network controlled by one of Europe's most wanted men, the Austrian fugitive Jan Marsalek, from Moscow - after Roussev kept tens of thousands of messages about their plots.

This led to the convictions of Ivanova, 33, Gaberova, 30, and Ivanchev, 39. Mr Murphy revealed: "This was spying on almost industrial scale, on behalf of Russia.

"Years ago, this would have been Russian agents on soil, directly working for a Russian intelligence agency. Instead what you have got is these activities being contracted out to individuals like this group.

"This is well organised, well-structured and poses a significant threat.