Six Britons working on behalf of Russia’s Wagner group have been sentenced to prison for setting fire to a London-based storage unit that was storing relief supplies destined for Ukraine.
Sentencing and Roles
While delivering the sentences, the judge at the central criminal court remarked that they had orchestrated a “campaign of terrorism and sabotage” to benefit the Russian government.
Dylan Earl received a seventeen-year jail term with an extra six-year period on supervised release due to his “leading role”. Jake Reeves, from Croydon in south London, was given twelve years in jail with an additional year on extended licence. Their admitted crimes resulted in them being the first individuals to be convicted under the 2023 National Security Act.
Jakeem Rose, aged 23, also from Croydon, was jailed for a term of eight years and ten months. Nii Mensah, from Thornton Heath, south London, was sentenced to nine years and Ugnius Asmena, who was without a fixed address, was given seven years. These three individuals were each convicted of serious fire-setting and received a further year on extended licence by the judge.
Ashton Evans drug dealer from Newport in Gwent, was sentenced to nine years with an extra year on supervised release after being convicted of failing to disclose details regarding terrorist acts relating to a separate scheme in Mayfair.
Incident Specifics
The arson attack on a Leyton-based storage facility in East London put 60 firefighters at risk and resulted in £1m in damage in March last year.
The court heard that the 21-year-old Earl and Reeves, 24 did not leave their bedrooms while coordinating the incident for the Wagner group, representing the Russian government.
The individuals involved targeted the storage facility because it was being used to supply emergency relief and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.
When the same Ukrainian company was hit by an intentional fire 10 days later in the Spanish capital, detectives from the Met’s counter-terrorism command took over the investigation.
Proof and Additional Schemes
When Earl was arrested, law enforcement examination of his mobile phone revealed he had recordings of the warehouse fire being initiated and was in contact with the Wagner group on Telegram, via an user profile with the usernames ‘Privet Bot account’ and ‘Lucky Strike alias’.
Some of the communications indicated that preliminary surveillance for further “missions”, involving fire-related incidents at a restaurant and wine store in Mayfair belonging to the Russian opposition figure Evgeny Chichvarkin had already been carried out. The use of explosives to harm structures was also discussed.
Investigators discovered that Earl was also raising the possibility of kidnapping Chichvarkin and “exiling him back to Russia to face prison”.
The individual involved in narcotics from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire had discussed an additional planned incident in the Czech Republic.
In a search of his home, police located a Russian flag, over twenty thousand pounds in currency and cocaine hydrochloride with a street value of approximately thirty-four thousand pounds.
Motivations and Judicial Remarks
The proceedings revealed he was a participant in multiple pro-Russian propaganda channels and was driven by “plain and severe avarice”.
“This case is about the attempts by the Russian government to acquire harmful worldwide sway using online platforms to enlist saboteurs far from the Russian capital.”
She found the arson attack had a “terrorist connection” regardless of whether the individuals responsible were aware of it. The Wagner organization is proscribed by the British authorities as a terrorist group.
