'Award winning' Bulgarian beautician, 29, who runs salon in north London among five accused of spying for Russia
22 September 2023, 08:28
A Bulgarian beautician who runs a salon in north London is among five people set to be charged with spying for Russia.
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Vanya Gaberova, 29, describes herself as a specialist in eyelash extensions who has won multiple awards.
She runs a beauty salon in Acton, where locals described her as "timid".
But she is now one of five Bulgarians accused of "conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interests of the state".
Read more: Five suspected Russian spies to be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage
Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova and Ivan Stoyanava, both 31, are also facing charges.
The Crown Prosecution Service says they are alleged to have spied between August 2020 and February 2023.
Nick Price, head of the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: "The CPS has authorised a charge of conspiracy to conduct espionage against three men and two women suspected of spying for Russia.
Read more: UK invites China to AI safety summit despite parliamentary spying row
"Orlin Roussev, 45, Bizer Dzhambazov, 41, Katrin Ivanova, 31, Ivan Stoyanov, 31, and Vanya Gaberova, 29, will be charged with conspiring to collect information intended to be directly or indirectly useful to an enemy for a purpose prejudicial to the safety and interest of the state between 30 August 2020 and 8 February 2023.
Roussev, Dzhambazov, and Ivanova were previously charged on February 11, 2023 with possession of false identity documents.
The five Bulgarians were arrested in February under the British Official Secrets Act following raids on properties in London and Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
It came after MI5 passed intelligence on to the Met Police.
