Overview

• Six Bulgarian operatives, led by Orlin Roussev, are being sentenced at the Old Bailey for conducting espionage on UK soil, including surveillance, honeytrap schemes, and kidnapping plots.
• Victim impact statements from journalist Christo Grozev and Kazakh dissident Bergey Ryskaliyev detail ongoing psychological and security consequences from the network’s actions.
• Jan Marsalek, the fugitive handler of the network, boasted in encrypted messages about his ability to supply nuclear weapons and other illicit services for the right price.
• The network’s activities extended globally, including assisting a US defense contractor with Kabul evacuations and engaging in money laundering and arms-for-diamonds trades in Africa.
• Evidence presented in court highlights the sophisticated equipment used by the network, including spy devices hidden in everyday objects like rocks and toys.