Honeytrap spy ring jailed after passing secrets to Russia for 3 years while bed-hopping at Brit guesthouse base
Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Tihomir Ivanchev, Ivan Stoyanov and Vanya Gaberova
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Vanya Gaberova has been found guilty of spying for Russia
Credit: East2west News
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Katrin Ivanova has also been convicted
Credit: PA
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Operations were carried out at his Great Yarmouth guesthouse
Credit: PA
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The group used sophisticated technology stored at the seaside home
Ivanova and Gaberova were known as the 'killer sexy brunettes" but became embroiled in a love triangle with a leading member of the spy cell.
The pair were used in honeytrap operations to gather
intel
on Kremlin targets, with the group of six Bulgarians paid huge sums of
money
.
Ex-tech worker Roussev, 46, ran the ring, which posed a chilling threat to national security.
Police raiding his unassuming 33-bedroom guesthouse in Great Yarmouth discovered a treasure trove of evidence.
The group have now been jailed for a total of more than 50 years after they were convicted of conspiracy to spy for Russia.
Ringleader Roussev was jailed for ten years and eight months, while Dzhambazov was sentenced to ten years and two months.
Ivanova was jailed for nine years and eight months and Gaberova received six years and eight months.
Ivanchev was jailed for eight years for his part in the role, while Stoyanov was sentenced to five years and three weeks.
Most read in The Sun
The head of Met counter terror, Dominic Murphy, previously warned similar cells could be operating as Britain becomes a "more hostile environment.
He added: "The reality is this won't be the only activity
Russia
is conducting here in the UK and we have seen other disruptions here in recent months."
The court was told the group carried out their espionage over three years - during which time they were referred to as Despicable Me's yellow sidekicks the Minions.
Behind the surveillance operations, the spies were caught up in a tangled love life.
"Besotted" Gaberova was having an affair with Dzhambazov, 43, who ran ground operations and was in a relationship with lab assistant Ivanova.
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Gaberova was arrested naked in a bed with Biser Dzhambazov
Credit: PA
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He was in a relationship with Ivanovna
Credit: Facebook
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A Minion toy that was adapted with a camera
Credit: PA
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A Coca Cola bottled had also been modified for spying
Credit: PA
Dzhambazov secretly moved Gaberova into a flat near his work as a delivery driver at a blood testing laboratory in Euston.
He even faked a brain tumour to cover for his absences with Ivanova while he was bedding his mistress - wearing a bandage on his head in one video call with his partner.
When cops arrested Dzhambazov, they found him naked in bed with Gaberova at her flat.
The spy ring was controlled by Jan Marsalek on behalf of Russia's GRU military intelligence and the FSB state security service.
Marsalek, 43, is at the centre of an Interpol Red Notice after going on the run when his tech company collapsed in 2020.
The Bulgarian spies all had EU settled status enabling them to travel
freely
across Europe from the UK.
Roussev recruited the group in August 2020, with operations carried out in London,
Valencia
, Montenegro and Stuttgart.
The spies also conducted surveillance on a US base in Germany where they believed Ukrainian soldiers were being trained to operate Patriot missile air defences.
They helped supply Russia with
drones
, laptops and military equipment in order to help Putin's state evade sanctions.
Roussev boasted about his "Brunette Twins' Ivanova and Gaberova as he plotted to use the women to make porn films with victims.
Targets included investigative journalists, Russian dissidents and political figures.
Roussev and Marsalek also plotted murder and kidnap in service of the Kremlin but the plans were never carried out.
Dzhambazov pleaded guilty to spying before the trial began along with Roussev.
A sixth member of the spy ring, mixed martial arts fighter Ivan 'The Rock' Stoyanov ,33, also admitted spying.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Beautician Gaberova, 30, and Ivanova, 33, were convicted of espionage offences under the Official Secrets Act.
Ivanova was also found guilty of possessing nine false identity documents.
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Gaberova has now been jailed
Credit: PA
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Orlin Roussev ran the spy ring
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Ivanova targeted Kremlin targets in the UK
Credit: Facebook
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Ivan Iliev Stoyanov was convicted of carrying out surveillance for Putin
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Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev has also been jailed for his part in the spy ring
Credit: PA
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