‘Russian spy’ who ‘labored for MI6’ evacuated by UK from Afghanistan

A suspected Russian spy who claims he labored for MI6 and met Prince Charles and Prince William was allowed onto evacuation flight from Afghanistan to Britain regardless of safety companies warning of the dangers if he re-entered the UK.

The alleged spy – who additionally claims to have labored for the Foreign Office, the Ministry of Defence and GCHQ – is alleged to have gained entry to ‘prime secret’ paperwork.

He obtained each Russian and British citizenship and labored below prime ministers Gordon Brown and David Cameron, a court docket heard.

He additionally met Prince Charles and Prince William when he made visits to Afghanistan whereas working for the Foreign Office within the late 2000s. 

Having first been granted asylum within the UK by mendacity that he was fleeing the Taliban in Afghanistan, he was advised in 2019 that spying allegations meant he was thought-about a nationwide safety threat and he was having his British citizenship eliminated.

But simply two years later, in 2021, he was allowed onto one of many final flights out of Kabul throughout the Taliban takeover, a court docket heard, as reported by The Times.

He was arrested as quickly as he received again within the UK from the war-torn nation. 

In an evaluation previous to to his arrival, safety companies stated that had he re-entered Britain ‘there’s a actual threat that he would undertake exercise on behalf of the GRU [Russian military intelligence]’.

A UK authorities spokesperson advised MailOnline: ‘All authorities departments have thorough safety and vetting processes in place.

‘It is longstanding authorities coverage that we don’t touch upon ongoing authorized procedures or particular person circumstances.’

‘We are dedicated to holding the British public secure, which is why our National Security Act features a vary of measures to discourage states from working towards the UK. 

‘It will make working covertly for a international hostile energy a legal offence, and enhance the variety of prosecutions towards those that put our nationwide safety in danger.’

After the refugee, recognized solely as C2, arrived within the UK in 2000 the Home Office granted him the proper to stay after he urged he fled Afghanistan immediately from the Taliban. 

But he’s accused of claiming asylum below false pretences, as he beforehand lived in Russia for six years, the Times reported.

In 2019 he was stripped of his British citizenship and kicked in a foreign country as a result of MI5 believed he was an agent for the GRU, the Russian navy intelligence company.

British officers argue that he’s a threat to nationwide safety if he’s let again into Britain.

At a Special Immigration Appeals Commission listening to C2 has admitted mendacity in his asylum software however vehemently denied any accusations of spying and posing a risk to nationwide safety.

C2 admitted in court docket on Tuesday he exchanged bare footage of ladies to Russian navy officers earlier than passing them money bribes, in addition to copies of his ID card which he stated was not confidential.

MI5 later advised him have been working for GRU.

Addressing C2, Mr Justice Jay stated: ‘I feel it’s being urged to you that you would need to be fairly naive to assume that somebody like him [one of the GRU assets] was not a Russian navy agent.’

His barrister Robert Palmer KC emphasised his ‘observe file of loyalty to the UK’.

C2 had lived in Russia since 1994 having paid a folks smuggler to get him into the nation from Afghanistan after the Soviet-backed authorities fell two years earlier.

Over the subsequent six years he learnt to talk Russian and married a Russian citizen.

In 2000 a smuggler purchased him a Caribbean vacation bundle and gave him a pretend Russian passport which he used to transit by means of London Heathrow.

But while on the airport he went to Border Force officers and claimed asylum the place he lied that he was fleeing from the Taliban.

C2 was given distinctive depart to remain within the UK and after working as a self-employed interpreter for the police, courts and Home Office, he landed a job at GCHQ, the court docket was advised.

He moved again to Afghanistan within the late 2000s whereas working for the Foreign Office which is the place he met royalty and politicians – together with the then Prince Charles and inheritor to the throne Prince William.

C2 claims whereas there the Pakistani intelligence companies, ISI, tried to rent him and have been ‘fishing for data’ to ‘discover out what weapons we used’.

He stayed and carried on working within the nation when his employment ended on the Foreign Office, the place he’s stated to have come into shut contact with Russian officers and visited Russia six occasions.