Russian spies caught in UK ‘taught classes on being British’

Ivanova and her partner’s flat was found full of alcohol (Image: Facebook) Suspected spies for Russia caught in the UK reportedly gave classes on how to be British and were snapped partying before their arrest. Three suspected spies, all Bulgarian nationals, were arrested and charged in a major national security investigation. They are charged with possessing identity documents with “improper intention”, and are alleged to have had these knowing they were fake, and to be working for the Russian security services. The documents include passports, identity cards and other documents for the UK, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic. Incredulous neighbours of two of the suspected spies, who were seen as a couple, told how they fitted naturally into British life enjoyed regular fry-ups at a local cafe and delighted them by bringing round “cakes and pies”. The defendants are Orlin Roussev, 45, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and couple Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, of Harrow, north-west London and Katrin Ivanova, 31, of the same Harrow address. Neighbours told the BBC of Ivanova and Dzhambazov’s habit of bringing round food, and the pair also ran a community organisation providing services to Bulgarians, including familiarising them with the “culture and norms of British society”. Dzhambazov, who worked as a hospital driver and Ivanova, a lab assistant with a private healthcare company, were described by neighbours as a normal couple living in Harrow, north London. A neighbour at a former Harrow address told the Mirror : “They were renting here for two or three years and moved before Covid. “They would always say hello. He used to transport blood and she focused more on the Bulgarian community business. He told us he was Max and she was Kate, and that’s just how we knew them.” Dzhambazov and his parnter were known in the community for bringing round cakes (Image: Facebook) Dzhambazov has a company listed in the UK and lists Queen as one of his favourite bands (Image: Facebook) Simon Carsini, the owner of Gino’s Cafe nearby, told the outlet the casual couple would wear flip flops and vests when they came round for a Full English, adding: “I just spoke to my chef about them and he said he recognised them, that they would come in here and order a Super Breakfast and four toasts and sit in the window. “Harrow is a very multicultural place where anybody could fit in and have a very normal life.” Dzhambazov’s Facebook lists him as a fan of rock group Queen, while on Companies House, he had his own business named B.I Business Investment Ltd since 2016. Meanwhile Ivanova was snapped dancing at a popular Bulgarian restaurant in Palmers Green, London. Locals near the couple’s most recent address said police vans were camped in the Lidl car park opposite their home for up to two weeks earlier in the year, with forensics officers entering in and out of their property. Its owner Sonal Thakrar told the Daily Mail they had lived there for five years, but was “shocked” when, following news of the police investigation, she went into the flat and found it full of alcohol. She said: “I was so shocked. It was more like a pub there was so much alcohol, There were dozens of bottles of whiskey and gin. I know people like to have a drink, but I have never see so many bottle of alcohol around the place. “It was not very homely and I did not get the impression it was a nice place.” The pair appeared alongside Roussev at the Old Bailey on July 31. A hearing for Ivanova was held at the Old Bailey today. They have yet to enter pleas to the charges and are remanded in custody. Roussev has a history of business dealings in Russia (Image: BBC) According to the Metropolitan Police, five people were arrested under the National Secrets Act in February and three of those were later charged under Section 4 of the Identity Documents Act 2010. Roussev is said to have moved to the UK in 2009, and originally spent three years as a technician in the financial services industry. All three defendants are scheduled to go on trial in January at the Old Bailey. The arrests are the latest in a series of Russian spy incursions into the UK, notably including the attempted murder of former double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Salisbury, Wiltshire, using the deadly nerve agent Novichok, by Russian agents. The pair, as well as responding detective Nick Bailey, were treated in hospital and could have died. Later that year, local woman Dawn Sturgess – who was unconnected to the Skripals – died after being exposed to the nerve agent, which had been left in Wiltshire in a perfume bottle. In 2006, former Russian-intelligence officer Alexander Litvinenko was killed in London after being poisoned by assassins working for the Russian state.