British Royal Navy sailor charged with espionage
The 24-year-old suspect is alleged to have gathered protected information and intended to pass it on to an unnamed foreign power.
A serving member of the British Royal Navy has been charged under the National Security Act. According to British police, he is alleged to have gathered protected information and made preparations to disclose it to an unnamed foreign power.
The suspect, a 24-year-old man, was arrested in Bedfordshire on Tuesday and is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. Police accuse him of two offences allegedly committed between November 2024 and May 2025.
According to the charge sheet, he is alleged to have obtained, copied, recorded or retained protected information with the intention of benefiting a foreign power. He is also alleged to have made preparations to disclose information. The nature of the information and the intended power have not been disclosed.
The suspect had reportedly been arrested previously by the British authorities and then released on bail. His security clearance was withdrawn and he was removed from his post. The new charge does not mean that his guilt has been established.
Counter Terrorism Policing London says it worked closely with the British Ministry of Defence to mitigate possible risks. The Royal Navy confirms that one of its members has been charged, but does not wish to comment on the substance of the case while legal proceedings are ongoing.
Police stress that the case is unrelated to the separate security investigation around RAF Fairford. Suspicious vehicles were reported there at the end of September and several people were arrested. According to the British authorities, there are no indications of a connection between the two cases.
The case shows how the United Kingdom uses the National Security Act in suspected activities on behalf of a foreign power. What information may have been taken and whether any actual damage occurred will have to emerge from the legal proceedings and further investigation.
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The legal charge and procedural facts have been confirmed by AP and ITV. The text takes account of the presumption of innocence and does not speculate about the foreign power or the content of the information.
- confirmed A serving member of the Royal Navy has been charged with two offences under the British National Security Act. — This was reported by AP and ITV based on information from Counter Terrorism Policing London. source
- confirmed The suspect is alleged to have obtained protected information and made preparations to disclose it. — The content of the charge is presented in this way by AP and ITV. source
- confirmed The case is unrelated to the investigation around RAF Fairford. — British police made this explicit, according to AP and ITV. source
- confirmed The suspect’s guilt has not been established. — This follows from the fact that this concerns a charge and ongoing legal proceedings. source
Editor's note
The charge, arrest and separation from the RAF Fairford case have been confirmed by AP and ITV. The identity of the foreign power, the nature of the information and the question of guilt are unknown.Sources
- Royal Navy member to appear in court on spying charges — The Associated Press
- Royal Navy service member charged with spying — ITV News
- National Security (State Threats) Act 2026 — GOV.UK
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „verenigd koninkrijk”
- RTL Nieuws — „verenigd koninkrijk”
- NOS — „verenigd koninkrijk”