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2mo ago

Russia, Iran and China Deploy Teen Proxies in Surge of UK Sabotage and Espionage

Security chiefs warn that a fragmented response is leaving the UK exposed to sabotage, abduction, espionage and cyber attacks orchestrated by foreign states.

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FILE PHOTOl People walk over Westminster Bridge in London, Britain, August 7, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo
Parliament's Intelligence and Security Committee has warned about Iran's covert threats (Image: Getty/iStockphoto)
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Overview

  • Senior counter-terrorism officers report arrests of mid-teen proxies recruited online and paid small sums to carry out sabotage, arson and kidnapping operations for hostile states.
  • MI5 has issued multiple espionage alerts to Whitehall departments and barred an Iranian agent from entering the UK on national security grounds.
  • Officials say state-sponsored hostile activity has risen fivefold since the 2017 Novichok poisoning in Salisbury.
  • Iranian-linked cyber units APT33, Charming Kitten and Cardamom have been linked to spear-phishing attacks on British companies, posing risks to energy security and academic research.
  • The Intelligence and Security Committee and security chiefs call for a unified, long-term strategy under the National Security Act 2023 to counter coordinated state threats.