British law enforcement officers suspected the former operations director of the German Wirecard payment system Jan Marsalek of espionage for Russia.
Der Spiegel writes about it.
According to the investigation, between August 30, 2020 and February 8, 2023, Marsalek participated "in a conspiracy to collect information that is directly or indirectly useful to the enemy and thereby harms the interests and security" of Great Britain.
As part of this case, five Bulgarian citizens were detained in London on suspicion of espionage. The alleged spies are 45-year-old Orlin Rusev, 41-year-old Bizer Djambazov, 31-year-old Katrin Ivanova, 31-year-old Ivan Stoyanov and 29-year-old Vanya Gaberova. Rusayev is considered the immediate leader of the group. Because of him, the investigators came to Marsalek, who could play a key role in the conspiracy. It is not yet known whether he has been formally charged.
As for the detainees, the Sunday Times and the Mirror wrote that they were working under the cover of journalists. During the search, they found forged documents, press cards and clothes with inscriptions of Discovery and National Geographic TV channels. One of the detainees was also found with surveillance equipment.
Previously, the group worked in several countries and tracked enemies of the Russian regime. It is still unclear what role Marsalek could play in this.
- At the end of June 2020, the German technology giant Wirecard found itself at the center of a financial scandal involving fraud of approximately €2 billion. The main suspect, the companyʼs operations director Jan Marsalek, has disappeared. The German and Austrian authorities declared him an international wanted man. In addition to financial fraud, it became known about Marsalekʼs connections with Russian special services and private military companies in Africa and the Middle East. Bellingcat investigators wrote that he often flew to Russia under various passports, including a diplomatic one.
- In the spring of 2022, journalists found out that Marsalek lives on the outskirts of Moscow, where the FSB is hiding him. He has a Russian passport in the name of Herman Bazhenov.