Three people arrested under National Security Act

Three people have been arrested in Essex as part of a Counter Terrorism Policing Investigation into suspected National Security Act offences.

A 41-year-old man and a 35-year-old woman were arrested at an address in Grays, Essex. Another 46-year-old man was arrested at a separate address, also in the Grays area of Essex.

All three were arrested on Wednesday, 17 September as part of an investigation being led by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 3 of the National Security Act (NSA).

In this case, the foreign intelligence service is Russia.

All three have been released on bail.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Command, said: "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.

"Indeed, two young British men are awaiting sentencing after they were recruited by the Wagner Group - effectively the Russian state - to carry out an arson at Ukrainian-linked warehouse. They are facing potentially lengthy custodial sentences, although, to be clear, today's arrests are in no way connected to that investigation.

"But anyone who might be contacted by and tempted into carrying out criminal activity on behalf of a foreign state here in the UK should think again. This kind of activity will be investigated and anyone found to be involved can expect to be prosecuted and there are potentially very serious consequences for those who are convicted."