Five Bulgarians accused of being part of a Russian spy ring operating in the UK: Who is the likely leader of the spy ring?

A court in the UK charged five Bulgarian nationals with espionage. Orlin Roussev, Biser Dzhambazov, Katrin Ivanova, Vanya Gaberova and Ivan Stoyanov did not appear in court in person, but by video link from four British prisons, and remained silent during the hearing on September 26.

The five Bulgarians charged in the UK with spying for Russia remain in custody (update)

The five defendants are also accused of being part of a conspiracy with a "person known as" Jan Marsalek. He is not charged in the case.

It is claimed that Marsalek assigned tasks to the alleged leader of the spy ring, Orlin Roussev.

Marsalek is known as the Austrian former chief operating officer of the bankrupt German payments company Wirecard, considered the European equivalent of PayPal. He became a wanted man in Germany after being suspected of having committed fraud.

Wirecard went bankrupt in 2020 with debts to creditors of almost €4 billion. The audit revealed a financial hole of nearly 2 billion as a result of a complex international fraud scheme. Marsalek is believed to have fled via an airport south of Vienna, taking off for Belarus on a private jet. He is now believed to be in Russia.

Prosecutor's office issued a position regarding the Bulgarians detained for alleged espionage in the UK

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