Russia and Iran recruit henchmen to ‘do their dirty work’ in UK

Vladimir Putin’s henchmen are planning to cause ‘mayhem’ in Britain and the rest of Europe, the chief of MI5 has warned. 

In a rare speech outlining the current threat level, director general Ken McCallum also pointed the finger at Iran of being behind ‘plot after plot’ on British soil since the killing of Mahsa Amini.

He said the nation faces a ‘staggering rise’ in attempts at assassination, sabotage and other crimes.

He revealed that both Russia and Iran recruit criminals to ‘do their dirty work’ and stressed there is a risk of broadening of state aggression in the UK.

Threats to national security also come from resurgent terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda and IS.

In the last year, McCallum said the number of inquiries into plots by hostile states had surged by 48%.

Metro has broken down his warnings – this is everything you need to know about the terror plots.

Russia

McCallum revealed that agents from Russia’s main intelligence (GRU) have carried out ‘arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions’ in Britain amid the support for Ukraine in the war, including the supply of weaponry.

Speaking at the counter-terrorism operations centre in west London on Tuesday, he said: ‘The UK’s leading role in supporting Ukraine means we loom large in the fevered imagination ofPutin’s regime and we should expect to see continued acts of aggression here at home.

‘The GRU in particular is on a sustained mission to generate mayhem on British and European streets.

‘We have seen arson, sabotage and more dangerous actions conducted with increasing recklessness and having precisely the opposite effect of what the Russian state intends in driving increased operational co-ordination with partners across Europe and beyond.’

In the last year, he said the number of state threat investigations – inquiries into plots by hostile states – had surged by 48%.

Iran

McCallum said 20 ‘potentially lethal’ plots backed by Iran have been tackled since 2022.

So far, the threats have been aimed at Iranians abroad who oppose the country’s authorities.

But he warned that if the Middle East crisis escalates with Israel launching a major attack in response to Iran’s recent missile barrage, there is a risk of such threats broadening.

‘Like the Russian services, Iranian state actors make extensive use of criminals as proxies – from international drug traffickers to low-level crooks,’ the MI5 head said.

‘Last December a man was jailed for reconnaissance he had carried out against the then-headquarters of the Iran International media organisation.’

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