LONDON — Three men suspected of spying for China were arrested Wednesday, London police said.
The three were arrested for allegedly assisting a foreign intelligence service in violation of the National Security Act of 2023.
Police did not name the suspects because they haven’t been charged. But they said one was a 39-year arrested in London, another was a 68-year-old arrested in Powys, Wales and the third, a 43-year-old, was arrested in Pontyclun, Wales.
They are the latest in a number of arrests in the U.K. of people accused of spying or causing political interference on behalf of China. The domestic intelligence agency MI5 issued an alert to lawmakers in November warning that Chinese agents were making “targeted and widespread” efforts to recruit and cultivate them using LinkedIn or cover companies.
Beijing has strongly denied those claims, calling them a fabrication and malicious slander.
Police do not believe there was an imminent or direct threat to the public related to the arrests, Cmdr. Helen Flanagan, head of counter terrorism policing in London, said.
“We have seen a significant increase in our casework relating to national security in recent years, and we continue to work extremely closely with our partners to help keep the country safe and take action to disrupt malign activity where we suspect it,” Flanagan said.
