A group of six individuals from Britain acting for Russia’s Wagner group have been handed jail terms for setting fire to a London-based storage unit that was storing humanitarian aid destined for Ukraine.
Sentencing and Roles
Sentencing the men, the presiding judge at the Old Bailey stated that they had orchestrated a “campaign of terrorism and sabotage” in the interests of the Russian state.
Dylan Earl received a 17-year jail term with an extra six-year period on extended licence due to his “leading role”. Jake Reeves, a resident of Croydon, South London, was sentenced to twelve years in prison with one year on supervised release. Their admitted crimes resulted in them being the first individuals to be found guilty under the National Security Act 2023.
Jakeem Rose, aged 23, also a Croydon resident, was jailed for eight years and 10 months. Nii Mensah, 23, from Thornton Heath, south London, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment and Ugnius Asmena, 21, who was without a fixed address, was handed seven years. The trio were each convicted of aggravated arson and received a further year on extended licence by the court.
Ashton Evans drug dealer from Newport in Gwent, was jailed for nine years imprisonment with an extra year on extended licence after being found guilty of failing to disclose details regarding acts of terrorism relating to a separate scheme in Mayfair.
Details of the Attack
The deliberate fire on a Leyton-based storage facility in East London put 60 firefighters at risk and resulted in one million pounds worth of destruction in March of the previous year.
The proceedings revealed that the 21-year-old Earl and the 24-year-old Reeves did not leave their bedrooms while coordinating the incident for the Wagner group, acting on behalf of the Russian Federation.
The individuals involved targeted the warehouse because it was being used to supply humanitarian aid and StarLink satellite equipment to Ukraine.
When the same Ukrainian company was subjected to an arson attack 10 days later in Madrid, detectives from the Met’s counter-terrorism command assumed control of the investigation.
Evidence and Further Plans
When Earl was taken into custody, police analysis of his mobile phone revealed he had videos of the storage facility blaze being initiated and was in communication with the Wagner group on the Telegram messaging app, via an account with the handles ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.
Some of the communications showed that preliminary surveillance for further “missions”, involving fire-related incidents at a restaurant and wine store in Mayfair owned by the Russian dissident Evgeny Chichvarkin had already taken place. The employment of explosive devices to damage buildings was also discussed.
Detectives discovered that Earl was also raising the potential abduction of Chichvarkin and “exiling him back to Russia to face prison”.
The drug dealer from Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire had discussed another potential attack in the Czech Republic.
In a search of his home, police found a flag of Russia, over twenty thousand pounds in currency and cocaine hydrochloride with a market value of about £34,000.
Driving Factors and Court Comments
The court heard he was a participant in multiple pro-Russian propaganda channels and was motivated by “simple and ugly greed”.
“This case is about the attempts by the Russian government to gain pernicious global influence using online platforms to recruit disruptors far from the Russian capital.”
She found the fire incident had a “terrorist connection” irrespective of if the individuals responsible knew it. The Wagner organization is banned by the British authorities as a terrorist group.
