Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Five men have been convicted for their involvement in a Russian-ordered arson attack on a London warehouse full of supplies destined for Ukraine.
Approximately £1 million of damage was caused after two units in an industrial estate in Leyton were deliberately set alight on 20 March last year.
An investigation led by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command found that Dylan Earl, aged 21, established contact with the Wagner Group, a private military organisation that acts on behalf of the Russian state, in 2023.
Earl then recruited a group of men to set fire to the Leyton warehouse and organised surveillance of two businesses in Mayfair in preparation for further arson attacks.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said; “This case is clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using ‘proxies’ – in this case British men – to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf.
“The ringleaders – Earl and Reeves – willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state. I am pleased that, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, we were able to use the new National Security Act legislation, which meant the severity of Earl and Reeves’s offending was reflected in the charges they faced.
“The warehouse arson put members of the public at great risk, and it was only by good fortune nobody was seriously injured or worse. Those involved showed little or no regard for the potential impact of their actions on the UK’s wider security. Seemingly motivated by the promise of money, they were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia.
“I hope these convictions send a strong warning of the very serious consequences of committing offences on behalf of a foreign country.”
The businesses based in the warehouses damaged by the arson were both Ukrainian-owned.
The fire was initially investigated by local Met officers in Waltham Forest. However, after officers became aware that another warehouse belonging to the same Ukrainian company was also subject to an arson attack in Madrid, Spain, detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command took over the investigation.
Met counter terrorism detectives then worked quickly to identify the individuals involved, which led them to suspect that Earl was the architect of the plot.
Earl was the first to be arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Leicestershire, on 10 April 2024. Analysis of his mobile phone revealed his contact with the Wagner Group on Telegram, via an account with the usernames ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.
In total, detectives extracted 56GB of data from Earl’s phone including, 5702 instant messages, 1244 e-mails, 51528 images, 3629 videos, 183 documents and 4840 social media files; some of the content required translation from Russian.
The swift investigation was crucial in preventing Earl and others from carrying out further arson attacks at two premises in Mayfair – evidence of which was found by officers following his arrest. Messages recovered from Earl’s phone showed that reconnaissance had already been carried out and discussions were ongoing about the use of explosives to damage buildings.
Detectives found that Earl was also raising the possibility of kidnapping the owner of the business, a Russian dissident, and “exiling him back to Russia to face prison.”
Analysis of Earl’s Telegram messages showed the first person he recruited for the warehouse arson plot was Jake Reeves, who then recruited his friend Kojo Mensah to carry out the arson. In turn, Mensah recruited his friend Jakeem Rose. Ugnius Asmena was also recruited to take part.
The investigation team established that three men – Mensah, Rose and Asmena met up on the evening of 20 March 2024 and travelled in a red Kia Picanto to the scene of the arson. Officers found evidence that Mensah filmed the warehouse being set alight and livestreamed it on Face Time to Earl and Reeves.
Dmitrijus Paulauskas, a friend of Reeves, and Ashton Evans, who helped Earl supply drugs, were also charged as part of the investigation as social media messages allegedly showed they were both aware of the arson attack and the planned offences in Mayfair.
On 8 July Mensah , 23 (03.06.02) from Thornton Heath, Rose 23 (24.05.02), of Croydon and Asmena, 21 (31.12.04) of no fixed address, were convicted of aggravated arson.
Paul English 61 (02.10.63) from Roehampton was found not guilty of the same charge.
Paulauskas 23 (02.01.02), of Croydon was found not guilty of two counts of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.
Evans 20 (11.01.2005) of Newport. Evans was found not guilty of the first count (relating to the Leyton arson) but guilty of the second count related to the plot to damage businesses in Mayfair.
Rose previously pleaded guilty to having a bladed article in a public place (in relation to a knife he left at the scene of the arson in Leyton). Evans also previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Earl 21 (17.02.04) of Elmesthorpe, Leicester, pleaded guilty to preparatory conduct, contrary to section 18 of the National Security Act (NSA) 2023, aggravated arson, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of criminal property.
Reeves, 23 (20.10.01), of Croydon pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 17(2) and (11), NSA 2023, and aggravated arson.
Earl and Reeves are the first people to be convicted of offences under the National Security Act, which came into legislation at the end of 2023.
All the defendants will be sentenced at the Old Bailey at a later date.
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