Six Britons acting for the Wagner mercenary group linked to Russia have been sentenced to prison for setting fire to a London-based warehouse that was storing relief supplies intended for Ukraine.
Sentencing and Roles
While delivering the sentences, the presiding judge at the Old Bailey remarked that they had planned a “campaign of terrorism and sabotage” to benefit the Russian government.
Dylan Earl was given a 17-year jail term with an extra six-year period on supervised release due to his “primary involvement”. Another defendant, Jake Reeves, a resident of Croydon, South London, was given twelve years in jail with one year on extended licence. Their admitted crimes resulted in them being the first individuals to be found guilty under the National Security Act 2023.
Jakeem Rose, also from Croydon, was jailed for a term of eight years and ten months. Nii Mensah, 23, a Thornton Heath, South London local, was given nine years and Ugnius Asmena, 21, who was homeless, was handed seven years in prison. The trio were each found guilty of serious fire-setting and given a additional year on supervised release by the judge.
Ashton Evans, a 20-year-old drug dealer hailing from Newport, Gwent, was jailed for nine years plus a further year on extended licence after being convicted of withholding details regarding terrorist acts relating to a separate scheme in the Mayfair area.
Details of the Attack
The arson attack on a Leyton-based storage facility in East London put 60 firefighters at risk and resulted in £1m in damage in March last year.
The proceedings revealed that the 21-year-old Earl and Reeves, 24 did not leave their bedrooms while organising the attack for the Wagner group, representing the Russian government.
The individuals involved targeted the storage facility because it was being utilized for providing emergency relief and satellite communication gear to Ukraine.
When the identical Ukrainian firm was hit by an intentional fire 10 days later in Madrid, detectives from the Met’s counter-terrorism command took over the investigation.
Proof and Additional Schemes
When Earl was taken into custody, law enforcement examination of his mobile phone revealed he had videos of the warehouse fire being initiated and was in communication with the Wagner group on Telegram, via an user profile with the handles ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.
Some of the messages showed that reconnaissance for further “missions”, involving arson attacks at a restaurant and wine shop in Mayfair district belonging to the Russian opposition figure Evgeny Chichvarkin had already taken place. The use of explosives to harm structures was also deliberated.
Detectives found that Earl was also considering the possibility of kidnapping the dissident Chichvarkin and “sending him back to Russia to confront imprisonment”.
The individual involved in narcotics from Elmesthorpe in Leicestershire had discussed another potential attack in the Czech nation.
In a search of his home, police located a flag of Russia, more than £20,000 in cash and cocaine with a market value of approximately thirty-four thousand pounds.
Driving Factors and Court Comments
The proceedings revealed he was a member of multiple channels promoting Russian propaganda and was motivated by “simple and ugly greed”.
“This legal matter concerns the attempts by the Russian government to acquire harmful worldwide sway using social media to enlist saboteurs far from the Russian capital.”
She found the fire incident had a “link to terrorism” regardless of whether the individuals responsible were aware of it. The Wagner organization is proscribed by the UK government as a terrorist group.
