Two more men, including one from Croydon, have appeared in court facing charges over offences connected with arson and industrial espionage on behalf of the Russian government, bringing to seven the number of people charged in connection with this case. This Russian “spy ring” appears to be centred on Croydon, with four of the men arrested having addresses in the borough.
Russian attack: the arson at this Leyton warehouse has been linked to the invasion of Ukraine
Jakeem Barrington Rose, 22, from Croydon, and Ugnius Asmena, 19, of Wandsworth, appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court yesterday both charged with aggravated arson, contrary to Section 1(2) and (3) Criminal Damage Act 1971.
Rose was further charged with one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and one count of possession of an offensive weapon in a private place.
Both were arrested earlier this week as part of an on-going counter terrorism investigation over an arson attack against a Ukrainian-owned business in London. In April, two other British men, including someone from Croydon, were charged under the National Security Act with helping the Russian intelligence service.
Dylan Earl, from Leicestershire, and Croydon 22-year-old Jake Reeves were charged with National Security Act offences in relation to a large fire which broke out at an industrial estate in Leyton in March.
Earl and Reeves were the first people to be prosecuted under the new law, which is intended to crack down on espionage, sabotage and foreign interference.
Earl is accused of planning to target the business, as well as attempting to recruit individuals to materially assist a foreign intelligence service, undertaking fraudulent activity and arson.
Reeves is accused of accepting money knowing that it was from a foreign intelligence service.
Three other suspects – Dmitrijus Paulauska, of Croydon, Paul English and Kojo Mensah, from Thornton Heath – have previously been charged with lesser offences not linked to national security legislation.
Paulauska, 22, was charged with failing to disclose information to police about terrorist acts, contrary to Section 38B of the Terrorism Act, 2000. Mensah, 21, was charged with aggravated arson in London in March.
A pre-trial plea hearing has been set for October 4 with a trial expected to begin at the Old Bailey in June 2025.
“The investigation is being led by officers from the Met’s counter terrorism command,” Scotland Yard said in a statement yesterday. “Enquiries remain ongoing.”
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