Six Britons working on behalf of Russia’s Wagner group have been sentenced to prison for igniting a located in London storage unit that was storing relief supplies intended for Ukraine.
While delivering the sentences, the presiding judge at the Old Bailey stated that they had planned a “campaign of terrorism and sabotage” to benefit the Russian government.
The individual named Dylan Earl was given a 17-year jail term with an extra six-year period on extended licence due to his “primary involvement”. Jake Reeves, from Croydon in south London, was sentenced to twelve years in jail with one year on extended licence. Their admitted crimes resulted in them being the first individuals to be convicted under the 2023 National Security Act.
Jakeem Rose, aged 23, also from Croydon, was sentenced to eight years and 10 months. Nii Mensah, from Thornton Heath, south London, was given nine years and Ugnius Asmena, who was homeless, was handed seven years. These three individuals were each convicted of aggravated arson and given a additional year on supervised release by the court.
Ashton Evans, a 20-year-old drug dealer from Newport in Gwent, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment plus a further year on extended licence after being convicted of withholding information about acts of terrorism connected to another plot in Mayfair.
The arson attack on a warehouse in Leyton, east London endangered sixty fire service personnel and resulted in £1m in damage in March of the previous year.
The proceedings revealed that Earl, 21 and the 24-year-old Reeves did not leave their bedrooms while organising the attack for the Wagner mercenary organization, acting on behalf of the Russian Federation.
The group targeted the storage facility because it was being used to supply emergency relief and satellite communication gear to Ukraine.
When the same Ukrainian company was subjected to an intentional fire 10 days later in the Spanish capital, detectives from the Met’s counter-terrorism command took over the investigation.
When Earl was arrested, police analysis of his mobile phone revealed he had recordings of the warehouse fire being started and was in communication with the Wagner organization on Telegram, via an user profile with the handles ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike alias’.
Some of the messages showed that preliminary surveillance for additional operations, involving arson attacks at a restaurant and wine store in Mayfair belonging to the Russian opposition figure Evgeny Chichvarkin had already taken place. The use of explosives to damage buildings was also discussed.
Detectives discovered that the defendant Earl was also considering the possibility of kidnapping the dissident Chichvarkin and “exiling him back to Russia to face prison”.
The individual involved in narcotics from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire had discussed another potential attack in the Czech nation.
In a residence inspection, police located a flag of Russia, more than £20,000 in cash and cocaine with a market value of about £34,000.
The proceedings revealed he was a member of numerous pro-Russian propaganda channels and was motivated by “plain and severe avarice”.
“This case is about the attempts by the Russian government to gain pernicious global influence using online platforms to enlist saboteurs far from the Russian capital.”
She determined the arson attack had a “terrorist connection” regardless of whether the individuals responsible were aware of it. The Wagner group is proscribed by the British authorities as a terrorist group.
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