An American serviceman has been arrested by British counter-terror police on suspicion of spying for Russia.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest was made following an investigation from Counter Terrorism Policing and US authorities, including the FBI.
The 41-year-old man was arrested near Gloucester on suspicion of offences under Section 1 and Section 3 of the National Security Act 2023.
The sections relate to obtaining or disclosing protected information and assisting a foreign intelligence service.
The force confirmed officers are carrying out searches in two Gloucestershire locations as part of the probe.
The investigation is not linked to any other ongoing Counter Terrorism Policing investigations, the Met confirmed.
Following the arrest, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, vowed to take “robust action” against those suspected of criminality which undermines national security.
She said: “This significant arrest and investigation is a result of close collaboration between UK and US authorities.
“The allegations are serious and our investigation is very much ongoing. This activity demonstrates the strength of our UK and US law enforcement and national security partnerships, and I commend the work of all the teams involved.”
Meanwhile, FBI director Kash Patel described the allegations of espionage as “of the utmost concern to the United States and our allies”.
The senior Trump administration figure added: “While this investigation is continuing, I want to send a clear message – this FBI has no tolerance for anyone who breaks their oath to the United States and whose actions endanger our national security and that of our partners.
“This includes 167 counterintelligence and espionage arrests from this FBI over the last 21 months – a 53 per cent increase.
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“This matter shows that partnerships are essential to protect our countries and I want to express my thanks to UK Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5, UK Defence Counter Intelligence, and the U.S. Army Counterintelligence Command for their outstanding work.”
Commanding general of US Army Counterintelligence Command, Brigadier General Sean Strinchon, hailed the “strength of our partnerships and the resolve of the counterintelligence community” as he praised MI5 and the FBI for the investigation.
He said: “The alleged conduct of a senior solider, entrusted with sensitive information, is a sobering reminder that insider threats are real and persistent. I encourage anyone who thinks they’ve witnessed something suspicious to report it to their local counterintelligence office.”
The 41-year-old suspect remains in custody at a London police station as enquiries continue.
The arrest comes just days after the head of the UK’s Armed Forces issued a stark warning over Britain falling behind its European allies in confronting the “very real” threat posed by Russia.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said the UK needs to “catch up with our European allies”, who he described as being more alert to the danger posed by Vladimir Putin.
“This is the most dangerous period I’ve known in my adult life. That threat – principally from Russia, but more broadly globally – is rising,” he said.
Sir Richard told the newspaper that the term “hybrid activity” now fails to described the extent of the disruption across the continent caused by Moscow.
“We’re talking about targeted assassinations, we’re talking about sabotage, we’re talking about cyber attacks,” he warned.
“These are very real, real things [by] the Russian state we have proof of in Europe and to some extent in the UK.”
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