Three UK-Based Bulgarians Convicted of Espionage for Russia

Verdicts reached after a lengthy trial reveal a sophisticated spy operation linked to a fugitive in Moscow.

Three Bulgarian nationals, Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, have been found guilty of espionage charges by a jury at the Old Bailey in London.

The jury deliberated for over 32 hours before reaching unanimous verdicts against the three individuals, who were living in London prior to their arrest.

The case against them revealed their involvement in a spy ring directed by Jan Marsalek, an Austrian businessman who fled to Russia in 2020 after the collapse of a company that was embroiled in a €1.9 billion (£1.6 billion) fraud scandal.

Marsalek was linked to various surveillance operations across Europe, including the targeting of Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist known for exposing Russian state-sponsored activities.

Marsalek's instructions included conducting surveillance on Grozev in several countries, including Bulgaria, Austria, and Spain.

The defendants were implicated in using a military-grade device to steal mobile phone numbers from Ukrainian troops believed to be training at a U.S. military base in Stuttgart, Germany.

The operational leader of this espionage activities, Orlin Roussev, 47, who was based in Great Yarmouth, had already pleaded guilty to espionage charges, as did his associate, Bizer Dzhambazov, 43. Their trial identified the defendants as junior operatives within the broader surveillance operation.

The group had been under the scrutiny of counter-terror police and MI5 prior to their arrests in February 2023.

During the investigation, authorities obtained critical evidence from Roussev's phone, which contained 78,747 Telegram messages between him and Marsalek.

The messages detailed several main espionage plots and indicate the Kremlin's interests throughout Europe.

Reports suggested that Marsalek directly targeted Grozev, citing that “apparently Putin seriously hates him.”

The court proceedings revealed personal entanglements among the accused, with Dzhambazov and Ivanova in a long-term relationship, while Dzhambazov had also been romantically involved with Gaberova, raising complications during the trial.

Ivanova, unaware of Dzhambazov's relationship with Gaberova prior to her arrest, claimed manipulation as a defense.

The two women asserted they had believed they were cooperating with Interpol, having been shown a fake ID card by Dzhambazov.

The three were convicted of conspiracy to commit an offense under the Official Secrets Act 1911, an offense that carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

Investigators traced approximately €210,000 in financial transactions linked to the espionage activities.

In addition to the convictions, a significant cache of surveillance equipment was seized during police raids, including 221 mobile phones, 495 SIM cards, 258 hard drives, multiple surveillance cameras, audio recording devices, and fake passports in various names, confirming the scale of the spy operation.

As part of the proceedings, Mr. Justice Hilliard KC remanded the defendants into custody pending sentencing, scheduled to take place between 7 May and 12 May. Additionally, a sixth individual, Ivan Stoyanov, 33, from Greenford, was implicated in the espionage activities and had previously pleaded guilty.