Latest news with #Minions'
ITV News
13-05-2025
- ITV News
Five of the most surprising revelations from the Russian 'Minions' spy ring trial
The Bulgarian ringleader of a UK-based spy network and his five 'Minions' have been jailed - but how did he operate the group from a rundown guesthouse in Norfolk? Orlin Roussev, 47, ran the Russian spy ring from the 33-bed property in Great Yarmouth alongside his five 'Minions' - the yellow sidekicks from the children's film Despicable Me whose name they used as an inside joke. Roussev was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Monday alongside his second-in-command Biser Dzhambazov, 44, Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30, Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, and 33-year-old Ivan Stoyanov. The homemade spy equipment Spyware recovered from the 33-bed coastal guesthouse included homemade audiovisual spy devices hidden inside a rock, men's ties, a Coke bottle and a Minions cuddly toy. In total, officers seized more than 1,800 items, many of which were cameras concealed in everyday objects. Roussev called the Great Yarmouth guesthouse his "Indiana Jones garage" - and police found a plethora of homemade audiovisual spy devices there. As well as storing camera devices in the Minions cuddly toy, the group named themselves after the children's characters as an "inside joke". But instead of the evil cartoon mastermind, Gru, the gang of six Bulgarians were working for the Russian intelligence service, the GRU. The group also used cameras hidden in glasses, which they used to record potential targets of their plots. Together, the group pinpointed people and places of interest to the Russian state - with female members Katrin Ivanova and Vanya Gaberova recruited as "honeytrap agents". A video released by the Met Police of Vanya Gaberova - who found her role "exciting and glamorous" according to Mr Justice Hilliard - using her spyglasses ' No James Bond activity on my end' When asked by officers why he had so many mobile phones, Roussev was adamant there was an innocent explanation. In police bodycam footage from his arrest, he said: "I have purchased some on Ebay and I'm repairing some of those." His excuses and lies continued into subsequent police interviews, and he even went as far as discussing the 007 films. "I will be thrilled to see how on God's earth there is a connection between me and Russia or any other state," he said in a police interview. "No James Bond activity on my end - I guarantee you." The love triangle at the heart of the spy ring Network second-in-command Dzhambazov was in a relationship with Ivanova, with the couple living together and working at the same medical laboratory. But Dzhambazov was also involved with Gaberova - and was found naked in bed with her when they were arrested. On Friday, Ivanova's barrister Rupert Bowers KC told the court she had been "lied to and manipulated by" Dzhambazov, despite never claiming herself that she had been coerced into spying for Russia. Mr Bowers said: "That is to her credit, but that is not to say that she was not lied to and manipulated by her partner, because she plainly was." However, sentencing the group on Monday, Judge Mr Justice Hilliard said Ivanova had "thrown in her lot" with Dzhambazov and "must have had a very good idea" of what was going on as a "trusted partner" and "enthusiastic participant" in the network. He also accepted that Dzhambazov lied about having cancer in order to maintain relationships with both women, which he said was "obviously distressing" for both women. "The damage is ongoing": The plot to kill a prominent journalist The group planned to assassinate investigative journalist Christo Grozev, who submitted a victim impact statement to the court in which he said their surveillance on him was "terrifying, disorientating and deeply destabilising". Mr Grozev was targeted after exposing Russian links to the Novichok poisoning of Sergei and Julia Skripal and the downing of a Malaysia Airlines plane in July 2014. While following Mr Grozev from Vienna to a conference in Valencia in Spain, Ivanova got close enough to him on the plane to record the passcode on his phone with a camera on the strap of her bag after the spies acquired his flight plans. "The consequences are not easily reversed - for my family and me, the damage is ongoing," said Mr Grozev. He said he had changed his daily routines because he fears he may still be at risk from others operating in the UK and elsewhere, and some of his sources are now "too afraid" to speak to him. The Met Police released a video taken on Ivanova's spyglasses of Mr Grozev on the plane to Valencia. The former competitive swimmer-turned-decorator who claimed he was tricked into spying Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev competed for Bulgaria as a swimmer at various FINA world championships in the late 2000s and according to his World Aquatics page, has won one silver and two bronze medals. After his arrest, he told police he had been in a relationship with Gaberova, who introduced him to Dzhambazov, who said he was an Interpol agent but had cancer. Ivanchev said Dzhambazov had tasked him with jobs in Vienna and Montenegro, with prosecutor Alison Morgan KC describing his activities as including following people, taking photos and videos and doing internet research. The court heard he was paid 200 euros a day, dropping to 150 euros, and he said he felt "stupid" to have got himself involved without seeing any proof Dzhambazov worked for Interpol. On Monday, Mr Justice Hilliard accepted Gaberova's responsibility for involving Ivanchev and said he was "sure" she knew talk of Interpol was "only a cover... ready to deploy if necessary". The fake Interpol ID was one of many forged documents used by members of the network, including fake passports for countries including France, Slovenia and Belgium - with Roussev himself having 18 fake identity documents.
ITV News
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Ringleader jailed for 'largest and most complex' spy group on UK soil
Orlin Roussev ran the spy ring alongside his five 'Minions' - a nickname they used as an inside joke referencing Despicable Me.
Metro
12-05-2025
- Metro
Spy gang working for Putin out of a dingy seaside hotel jailed for XX years
Six Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia in one of the 'largest and most complex' enemy operations to be uncovered on UK soil have been jailed for a total of 50 years. The network used code names from popular films, with the ringleader calling himself Jackie Chan and his sidekick Mad Max, or Jean-Claude Van Damme. Their underlings were dubbed 'Minions' from 'Despicable Me' and carried out operations on behalf of the Russian intelligence service, known as the GRU, similar to the animated franchise's evil mastermind Gru. 'Behind those nicknames was an extremely sophisticated intelligence-gathering operation that posed a threat to national security and individuals, including journalists,' Met counter terror boss Commander Dominic Murphy said. 'This was industrial-scale espionage on behalf of Russia.' Katrin Ivanova, 33, and Vanya Gaberova, 30, and competitive swimmer Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, were found guilty at the Old Bailey in March of spying on an 'industrial scale', putting lives and national security at risk. They were sentenced at the same court today alongside ringleader Orlin Roussev, 47, his second-in-command Biser Dzhambazov, 44, and Ivan Stoyanov, 33, who admitted their roles. The network was directed by alleged Russian agent Jan Marsalek, 44, an Austrian businessman wanted by Interpol after the collapse of German payment processing firm Wirecard. Marsalek acted as a go-between for Russian intelligence and Roussev, who led the operation from a former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. In one mission, a group of them tried to lure a Bulgarian journalist who uncovered Moscow's involvement in the 2018 Novichok poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury, England, into a 'honeytrap' romance with Gaberova. The spies followed Bellingcat journalist Christo Grozev from Vienna to a conference in Valencia, Spain, and the gang's ringleaders discussed robbing and killing him, or kidnapping him and taking him to Russia. Roussev harboured a trove of spy equipment that police described as 'Aladdin's Cave' when it was raided. They discovered loads of spy cameras, hidden in sunglasses, pens, neckties and cuddly toys that included a Minion. Technology used to jam Wi-Fi and GPS signals were found, along with eavesdropping devices and car trackers. Dzhambazov, who worked for a medical courier company but claimed to be an Interpol police officer, was in a relationship with both the women — his laboratory assistant partner Ivanova and beautician Gaberova. Gaberova, in turn, had ditched painter-decorator Ivanchev for Dzhambazov, who took her to Michelin-starred restaurants and stayed with her in a five-star hotel. When police moved in to arrest the suspects in February 2023, they found Dzhambazov naked in bed with Gaberova rather than at home with Ivanova. Both women claimed during the trial that they had been deceived and manipulated by Dzhambazov. Following the gang's convictions, Cmdr Murphy said: 'I have never seen anything like this in my more than 20 years in counter-terrorism. It was an extremely sophisticated operation. More Trending 'Reading some of the messages and content on the devices you might be tempted to think this is not a serious threat, but behind those nicknames was an extremely sophisticated intelligence-gathering operation that posed a threat to national security and individuals, including journalists.' Had the group not been arrested, lives could ultimately have been lost, as happened as a result of the 2018 Novichok attack in Salisbury. The senior officer said: 'My concern has always been what that lifestyle surveillance was going to lead to and we have seen a long history of the Russian state conducting operations here in the UK, including lethal threat operations like the investigation in Salisbury.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Lonely Planet co-founder reveals four places he'll never visit again – including 'wonderful' holiday hotspot MORE: Four charged after mum killed by falling bricks on her way to son's nursery MORE: James Bulger killer makes new parole bid and could be freed by end of year
ITV News
12-05-2025
- ITV News
'Minions' spy ring run from Great Yarmouth seaside guesthouse jailed
The Bulgarian ringleader of a UK-based spy network made up of his five 'Minions' has been jailed for more than 10 years. Orlin Roussev, 47, ran a Russian spy ring from a former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, alongside his five 'Minions' - the yellow sidekicks from the children's film Despicable Me whose name they used as an inside joke. He received a sentence of 10 years and eight months at the Old Bailey on Monday. Roussev, his second-in-command Biser Dzhambazov, 44, and 33-year-old Ivan Stoyanov had earlier admitted their roles, while Katrin Ivanova, 33, Vanya Gaberova, 30 and competitive swimmer Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, were found guilty of spying on an "industrial scale" at the same court in March. Dzhambazov was sentenced to 10 years and two months in prison while Ivanova received nine years and eight months. They worked as spies for the Russian intelligence service, the GRU, in what is believed to be one of the "largest and most complex" enemy operations to be uncovered on UK soil - directed by alleged Russian agent Jan Marsalek, 44, an Austrian businessman wanted by Interpol for fraud. Marsalek was a go-between for intelligence services in Russia and Roussev at the Great Yarmouth guesthouse - which he described as his "Indiana Jones garage" - with the network engaging in surveillance and intelligence operations over three years. They discussed using beautician Gaberova as a honeytrap to snare a high-profile journalist, dropping 100 litres of pigs' blood on the Kazakhstan embassy in London by drone and kidnapping a man on UK soil. Spyware recovered from the 33-bed coastal guesthouse included homemade audiovisual spy devices hidden inside a rock, men's ties, a Coke bottle and a Minions cuddly toy. Second-in-command Dzhambazov was in a love triangle with two of the team - his partner Ivanova and "lashes queen" Gaberova.
ITV News
08-05-2025
- ITV News
Spy ring leader operating from Great Yarmouth tried to 'keep the Russians happy', court told
The Bulgarian ringleader of a UK-based spy network always tried to "service the the Russian paymaster" and "keep the Russians happy", a court heard. Orlin Roussev, 47, and his five 'Minions' - the children's characters whose name they used as an in-joke - they are facing jails terms for their part in a Russian spy ring operated from a former seaside guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. On Wednesday, the Old Bailey heard Roussev had shown his intent to 'keep the Russians happy' by making a 'genuine statement' of things he was prepared to do when he received information of a possible kidnapping target. The 47-year-old is due to be sentenced along with "honeytrap" agents Katrin Ivanova, 33, and Vanya Gaberova, 30 and competitive swimmer Tihomir Ivanov Ivanchev, 39, who were found guilty in March of spying on an 'industrial scale', putting lives and national security at risk. Biser Dzhambazov, 44, Roussev's second-in-command, and Ivan Stolyanov, 33, admitted their roles and are also due to be sentenced. The court heard Roussev replied to a message about potentially kidnapping a target by saying: 'If you are serious about it, I have the resources to kidnap, drug him and lock him up in a secure cave.' Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said of the message: 'It is absolutely plain that there is no coherent or detailed plan of how such a kidnapping would take place, but it is undoubtedly the case that if there is a prospect of it being what Russia wants, the prosecution submits Mr Roussev is making it plain he will find the resources – he is capable. 'We submit that is consistent to his character, which is to always try and service the needs, service the requests of the Russian paymaster. 'It is a genuine statement of the things he is prepared to do or facilitate to keep the Russians happy.' The court also heard how Roussev had contemplated acquiring the services of actor Sacha Baron Cohen for a fake protest at the Kazakhstan embassy in London. The Old Bailey previously heard the spy network plotted to spray fake blood on the embassy and create the pretence that the spies had genuine intelligence about activists to pass on to Kazakhstan intelligence services, to enable Russia to 'gain favour' with government officials. The sentencing hearing is due to last until Monday.
