A dangerous spy network working out of a modest seaside guesthouse in the UK has been dismantled, with six members of the Russian-backed ring sentenced to a combined 44 years in prison.
The sophisticated operation, led by Bulgarian national Orlin Roussev, operated covertly across Europe and the UK, tracking Russian dissidents and foreign political figures. Described by authorities as functioning on an “industrial scale,” the espionage cell even plotted kidnappings and assassinations.
Among those convicted were Katrin Ivanova, 33; Vanya Gaberova, 30; and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39… all found guilty of relaying sensitive intelligence to rogue ex-Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek, believed to be working closely with Russian intelligence. They were convicted in March after one of the UK’s most complex espionage investigations, spearheaded by the Metropolitan Police.
The gang also included Biser Dzhambazov, 44, and Ivan Stoyanov, 33… who admitted their roles, and Roussev, 47, who orchestrated operations from a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. The makeshift spy HQ, dubbed his “Indiana Jones garage,” hid espionage gear inside items like Coke bottles, neckties, and even a stuffed Minions toy.
During sentencing at the Old Bailey, Justice Hilliard called the ring’s activities among the most serious of their kind ever uncovered in Britain. Roussev, identified as the mastermind, received a sentence of 10 years and 8 months.
Dzhambazov got 10 years and 2 months, while his partner Ivanova was handed 9 years and 8 months. Gaberova was jailed for 6 years, 8 months, and 3 weeks; Ivanchev got 8 years, and Stoyanov received 5 years and 3 weeks.
The network referred to its agents as “Minions”… a nod to the animated movie… as they executed covert surveillance across Europe. Targets included a Bellingcat journalist, a former Kazakh politician, a Russian lawyer, and a U.S. military base in Germany, where Ukrainian forces were believed to be training.
Interpol-wanted Marsalek, who fled after the Wirecard scandal, maintained contact with Roussev through encrypted chats. In one message, Marsalek boasted about being able to deliver anything “except nukes,” before adding, “even the nukes if they pay.”
Investigative journalist Christo Grozev of Bellingcat described the personal toll the surveillance took on him, calling it “deeply destabilizing.” He had exposed Russia’s involvement in the Novichok poisonings and the MH17 plane downing.
The spy ring tracked Grozev across multiple countries, with Ivanova once getting close enough to him on a flight to record his phone’s PIN code using a hidden camera.
Another target, exiled Kazakh politician Bergey Ryskaliyev, revealed he had to overhaul his entire personal security setup and live under constant vigilance, fearing the threat hasn’t truly ended.
As the UK ramps up efforts to counter foreign espionage, this case stands as a stark reminder of how deeply embedded international spy networks can become… and how high the stakes are when they go undetected.
