🔗 Share this article

Six Britons acting for Russia’s Wagner group have been handed jail terms for igniting a London-based warehouse that was holding relief supplies intended for Ukraine.

Court Rulings and Involvement

Sentencing the men, the judge at the central criminal court stated that they had planned a “campaign of terrorism and sabotage” to benefit the Russian government.

The individual named Dylan Earl received a 17-year jail term with an additional six years on supervised release due to his “primary involvement”. Another defendant, Jake Reeves, a resident of Croydon, South London, was given twelve years in prison with an additional year on extended licence. The offences they admitted resulted in them being the first individuals to be convicted under the 2023 National Security Act.

Jakeem Rose, also a Croydon resident, was jailed for a term of eight years and ten months. Nii Mensah, a Thornton Heath, South London local, was given nine years and Ugnius Asmena, who was homeless, was given seven years in prison. The trio were each convicted of serious fire-setting and received a additional year on extended licence by the judge.

Ashton Evans, a 20-year-old individual involved in drug trafficking from Newport in Gwent, was jailed for nine years plus a further year on extended licence after being found guilty of failing to disclose details regarding acts of terrorism connected to a separate scheme in Mayfair.

Incident Specifics

The arson attack on a warehouse in Leyton, east London put 60 firefighters at risk and resulted in one million pounds worth of destruction in March of the previous year.

The court heard that Earl, 21 and the 24-year-old Reeves remained in their residences while organising the attack for the Wagner mercenary organization, acting on behalf of the Russian government.

The group targeted the storage facility because it was being used to supply emergency relief and satellite communication gear to Ukraine.

When the same Ukrainian company was subjected to an intentional fire ten days afterward in the Spanish capital, investigators from the Metropolitan Police's anti-terror unit took over the investigation.

Proof and Additional Schemes

When Earl was taken into custody, police analysis of his cellphone revealed he had videos of the warehouse fire being initiated and was in communication with the Wagner group on Telegram, via an account with the usernames ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.

Some of the communications showed that preliminary surveillance for further “missions”, involving arson attacks at a dining establishment and wine shop in Mayfair belonging to the Russian opposition figure Evgeny Chichvarkin had already taken place. The use of explosives to harm structures was also discussed.

Investigators found that the defendant Earl was also raising the potential abduction of the dissident Chichvarkin and “sending him back to Russia to confront imprisonment”.

The individual involved in narcotics from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire had discussed an additional planned incident in the Czech nation.

In a residence inspection, police found a flag of Russia, more than £20,000 in cash and cocaine hydrochloride with a street value of about £34,000.

Motivations and Judicial Remarks

The proceedings revealed he was a participant in numerous pro-Russian propaganda channels and was motivated by “simple and ugly greed”.

“This case is about the efforts of the Russian Federation to acquire harmful worldwide sway using online platforms to recruit disruptors vast distances from Moscow.”

She found the arson attack had a “terrorist connection” irrespective of if the perpetrators were aware of it. The Wagner organization is proscribed by the UK government as a terrorist organisation.