Man accused of spying for Russia 'spoke to MI5'

Vanya Gaberova, Katrin Ivanova and Tihomir Ivanchev, all from London, deny a charge of conspiracy to spy

A defendant in an alleged Russian spy ring case told police he had already spoken to MI5 when he was arrested, the Old Bailey has heard.

The court was played Tihomir Ivanchev's interview from February 2024 in which he told a police officer "I met a guy from MI5 and we've done a few talks".

Mr Ivanchev, 39, Katrin Ivanova, 33, and Vanya Gaberova, 30, all from London, deny conspiracy to spy.

Ms Ivanova also denies possessing multiple false identity documents.

Orlin Roussev, 46, and another man, Biser Dzhambazov, 43, from London, have admitted conspiracy to spy.

Ms Gaberova was arrested in February 2023 and police bodycam footage shows Mr Ivanchev arriving at her flat afterwards to try and speak to her.

He told an officer that Ms Gaberova was his "ex-girlfriend", he had noticed her beauty salon was shut and wanted to know: "Is she alive?".

The jury heard that Ms Gaberova was interviewed by police four times.

In a prepared statement in one interview she told the police: "I am not a Russian spy".

She initially refused to give the password to her iPhone 13 but at a later interview provided it.

Ms Ivanova was also interviewed by police in February 2023, and in her statement said: "I deny conducting any surveillance activities on behalf of Russia. I have no affiliations with Russia."

She said: "I have lived and worked in the UK since 2012. I pay taxes and I enjoy living here."

She answered "no comment" to police interview questions.

On 7 February 2024, a year after the initial arrests, Mr Ivanchev was arrested at his home in Enfield, London.

The jury was played the full 1hr 47 minute interview he gave police later on the day of the arrest in which he chose not to have a solicitor present.

Tihomir Ivanchev (right) told police he thought he had been chasing bad guys

Mr Ivanchev told police Ms Gaberova had met Dzhambazov in 2021 and "travelled several times with him".

The jury heard Mr Ivanchev say that Dzhambazov told him he was an Interpol agent.

In his February 2024 interview he said Dzhambazov "needed more people" and he initially thought he would be taking photos and videos of "criminals" who would be arrested.

When asked by the police if he thought he was "chasing bad guys", Mr Ivanchev said "yes".

Mr Ivanchev said that initially he treated it like a "paid holiday" but once he started "using my brain more, I started realising there was something dodgy".

"This is the dumbest thing I've done in my life," he said in his Hammersmith Police Station interview.

Mr Ivanchev told police he was initially paid €200 a day, and the payment came through Dzhambazov's Revolut account.

He said he "went a few times to Montenegro, and a few times to Austria".

He thought his first trip was to Vienna where the "target" was "Mr Grozev" and he spent either three or four days there.

Christo Grozev, an investigative journalist for the Bellingcat group, had uncovered Russian links to the 2018 Salisbury attack.

The trial has been told the defendants worked under the direction of Roussev, and that he, in turn, received instructions from Jan Marsalek, who was working as an "intermediary for the Russian intelligence services".

The jury has been shown Telegram messages between Marsalek and Roussev about targeting the journalist.

Mr Ivanchev said that after Ms Gaberova's arrest he told the MI5 "guy" that he was planning to visit Bulgaria from the UK.

The jury watched his police interview in which Mr Ivanchev said the border police were waiting for him at the airport and he "spent... a few hours with them just explaining the same situation".

Mr Ivanchev said his phone and laptop were taken by border police and a few days later was told he could have them back.

He said "I knew probably at some point I was gonna get a phone call", and "I already told them my address and stuff".

At the trial, jurors have heard the five Bulgarian nationals were involved in six operations against individuals and places of interest to the Russian state for nearly three years.

The trial continues.