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The guard of the British embassy in Berlin is sentenced to 13 years in prison for selling secrets to Russia

Politiko 2023-02-17 13:49:06

The guard of the British embassy in Berlin is sentenced to 13 years in prison

An embassy spy in Berlin has been sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for treason against his country and colleagues by selling secrets to Russia.

David Smith, a former security guard at the British embassy in Germany, was motivated by his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin and hatred of Britain when he began collecting classified documents in 2018, The Guardian reports .

He sent two letters to senior officials at the Russian embassy in 2020, with one exposing the identity of a diplomat who had worked in Russia – referred to as X – as well as details of colleagues.

Police launched an investigation after Smith's second letter to a military attaché at the Russian embassy in November 2020 was traced to him. In a covert hit operation in August 2021, two role players posed as a fake Russian defector and intelligence officer.

After Smith's arrest, police found his sensitive and secret documents, including correspondence between ministers and the then prime minister, Boris Johnson.

Smith pleaded guilty to eight counts under the Official Secrets Act of committing an act prejudicial to the security or interests of the state.

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