About To Leave The UK, Suspected Russian Spy Arrested By Anti-terror Police At London Gatwick Airport

Illustration of London Gatwick Airport, England. (Wikimedia Commons/Mike McBey)

JAKARTA - A man suspected of being involved in spying activities in the UK has been arrested by the anti-terror police in London, while trying to leave the country.

The suspect, who is known to be in his 40s, was detained by the London Metropolitan Police at London Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, England on Monday night.

The Sun newspaper reported that the man was accused of spying in Britain for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Originally, he was about to catch a flight out of England when he was arrested.

It is known, the arrest of the alleged spy was made following an investigation involving the UK's domestic intelligence agency MI5 and the Metropolitan Police.

"We can confirm that officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, arrested a man in his 40s at Gatwick Airport on Monday, June 13, on an alleged offense under Section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1911," a Scotland Yard spokesman said. National News June 16.

"He has been taken to the London police station, where he is currently in police custody. The investigation continues."

Section 1 of the Act deals with information contained in records, plans or sketches that may be useful to the enemy.

It is understood the incident took place at a time of heightened tensions between Britain and Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Russia expanded the list of British citizens now barred from entering the country, to include journalists, politicians and defense chiefs.

Relations between the two countries hit an historic low after the poisoning of former Russian security guard Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006, and the attempted murder of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter with a nerve agent in Salisbury in 2018.