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In one of the largest foreign intelligence operations uncovered in Britain, three Bulgarian nationals have been convicted of espionage for Russia. Vanya Gaberova, 30, Katrin Ivanova, 33, and Tihomir Ivanchev, 39, were found guilty of conspiracy to spy after a trial at the Old Bailey that revealed a sophisticated network operating across Europe.
The trio, who maintained ordinary jobs in London as a beautician, healthcare worker, and decorator respectively, conducted surveillance operations between 2020 and 2023. Metropolitan Police Commander Dominic Murphy described their methods as something you would "expect to see in a spy novel."
Working under ringleader Orlin Roussev, 47, the cell targeted investigative journalists Christo Grozev and Roman Dobrokhotov, who had exposed Russia's involvement in the nerve agent attacks on Alexei Navalny and Sergei Skripal. According to prosecutor Alison Morgan KC, the group employed "sophisticated methodology" including surveillance, false identities, and advanced technology.
Police raids uncovered an extensive "spy factory" at Roussev's former guesthouse in Great Yarmouth. Frank Ferguson, counter-terror chief at the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: "The police raid on Roussev's home revealed a spy factory." Authorities seized 221 mobile phones, 495 SIM cards, and numerous surveillance devices including cameras hidden in ties and a fake rock.
The operation was ultimately directed by Jan Marsalek, an Austrian businessman who fled to Russia in 2020 following a €1.9 billion fraud at financial services company Wirecard. Court evidence included 78,747 unencrypted Telegram messages between Roussev and Marsalek detailing six major operations, including one message suggesting Grozev was targeted because "apparently Putin seriously hates him."
The spy cell's plans were alarmingly ambitious. They discussed kidnapping Grozev and smuggling him to Moscow, burning his property, or killing him. When following Dobrokhotov, Ivanova reportedly sat close enough on a plane to observe his phone PIN.
During the trial, personal entanglements complicated the case. The court heard that Dzhambazov maintained relationships with both Ivanova and Gaberova, with police finding him in bed with Gaberova during the arrests. Ivanova claimed she was manipulated by Dzhambazov, while Gaberova and Ivanchev insisted they believed they were working for Interpol.
