In Great Britain, a man was found guilty of assisting foreign intelligence after he offered to transfer personal information about former Defense Minister Grant Shapps to Russian intelligence for money. This was reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
As prosecutors reported, Howard Phillips provided Shapps' home address and phone number to two people he believed to be Russian intelligence agents, but who were actually British undercover officers.
Phillips, 65, denied charges of committing acts aimed at materially assisting foreign intelligence — an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Speaking at Winchester Crown Court, Phillips claimed he was trying to "expose a foreign agent," but jurors on Tuesday found him guilty under the National Security Act. He will be sentenced later.
At the start of the trial, prosecutor Jocelyn Ledward noted that Phillips offered assistance to Russian intelligence "not necessarily for ideological reasons or sympathy for Russia."
According to her, Phillips sought easy money by doing a simple, perhaps interesting or exciting job.
A man was detained in Poland for spying for the Russian Federation11.06.25, 13:41
Addition
In March 2024, he was approached by alleged Russian agents named Sasha and Dima, who asked him to record a file on a blank flash drive, indicate in it what exactly he could offer and why, and then hide the drive in a parked bicycle on a street in London.
In May 2024, Phillips met with Dima, saying he knew Shapps' address, his phone, and where his private jet was stored because he had visited the politician's home, Ledward said.
In addition, Phillips offered logistical assistance, including hotel bookings and mobile phone purchases for foreign intelligence, prosecutors added.
Recall
The Viru County Court of Estonia sentenced Russian citizen Pavel Kapustin to 6.5 years in prison for spying for the FSB, providing false information, and violating international sanctions. His property worth about 90,000 euros, obtained from illegal activities, was also confiscated.