British police officials said Tuesday that dangerous activities, including attacks and kidnappings, carried out by Russia, Iran, and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the UK are on the rise, often using criminals or even teenagers to carry out these actions.
According to reports from Reuters on Tuesday, the number of dangerous activities from hostile countries such as Russia, Iran, and the CCP has increased fivefold since the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal with the Novichok nerve agent in 2017.
Dominic Murphy, head of London’s Counterterrorism Command, told reporters, “We are seeing an increasing number of life-threatening activities carried out by these three countries in the UK.”
He mentioned that the breadth, complexity, and speed of growth of hostile actions from Russia, Iran, and the CCP have surpassed predictions from themselves, international partners, and any intelligence agencies.
Vicki Evans, senior national coordinator for counterterrorism policing in the UK, revealed that in most cases, these hostile countries use proxies – often criminals willing to act for a small amount of cash – to carry out their tasks.
She added that the proxies sought by these hostile countries include vulnerable groups or individuals who feel deprived of their rights, including arrested or investigated teenagers.
Evans said, “Our concern is that they may have been encouraged or incited in some way in the online environment to carry out certain tasks, without realizing they are being deliberately sent to do a mission.”
She also emphasized that these teenagers are not motivated by ideological reasons to complete the tasks.
In recent years, UK law enforcement agencies have repeatedly expressed concerns about malicious activities conducted by China, Russia, and Iran in the UK. Such activities range from traditional spy activities and state defamation to deliberate sabotage and assassination.
Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran have all rejected these accusations from London, citing political motives behind them.
Earlier this month, three men were convicted for setting fire to a Ukraine-related business in London. Authorities said the operation was ordered by the Russian Wagner mercenary group. The group’s leader had previously admitted to planning and kidnapping a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin who resides in the UK.
In a report released by the UK Labour Party government on the eve of the 1st anniversary of taking office in early July 2024, titled the “Comprehensive Review Report on Relations with China,” it pointed out that Chinese espionage activities in the UK have intensified and now pose a threat to national security.
However, the British government has not classified China as a “highest threat” on par with Russia in the report, leading to discontent among some British lawmakers, who have raised objections on this matter.
Additionally, the head of MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, revealed in 2024 that since January 2022, Iran has been involved in 20 plots to kidnap or assassinate British citizens or individuals living in the UK. Tehran sees these individuals as threats to its regime.
Murphy, when discussing Iran, said, “Iran continues to try to incite violence on UK streets, mainly relying on criminal proxies to carry out their action plans.”