Three Bulgarian citizens were arrested in the U.K. on suspicion of espionage for Russia, the BBC reported on Aug. 15.
The suspects were detained back in February and have been held in custody ever since, according to the media outlet. They were accused of working for the Russian security services.
British authorities charged Orlin Roussev, Bizer Dzhambazov, and Katrin Ivanova with possessing fake identity documents with "improper intention," the BBC wrote.
Those reportedly include passports, identity cards, and other documents for the U.K., Bulgaria, France, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
According to the BBC, all three suspects have lived in the U.K. for years, working in various jobs and residing in suburban properties.
The defendants, who have yet to respond to the charges, will face trial in January, the media outlet added.
The BBC also cited the U.K. anti-terrorist police saying they have spent an increasing amount of time on cases of state threats and espionage, particularly linked to Moscow.
Earlier in August, German and Polish authorities reported that they had arrested suspected Russian spies in their countries, accused of gathering and sharing sensitive information as well as spreading pro-Russian propaganda.
Alexander Khrebet
(Updated: )
