London: Following the BBC's report that the group was allegedly accused of spying for Russia, British police announced on Tuesday that they had charged two men and a woman with identity document violations.

According to a report by the BBC, the people in question are Bulgarian nationals who were allegedly employed by Russian security services. They were detained as part of a significant national security investigation.

The Official Secrets Act led to the arrest of five people in February, according to the London Metropolitan Police, of whom three have since been charged with unlawfully possessing false identification documents.

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They were identified in a police statement as Katrin Ivanova, 31, Biser Dzambazov, 42, and Orlin Roussev, 45. They were remanded in custody until a later date after making an appearance in July at London's Old Bailey Court.

On the subject of whether they were being watched by Russian spies, the police declined to comment.

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Britain has been increasing its attention on threats to external security, and last month it passed a new national security law that includes updated tools and criminal provisions to deter espionage and foreign interference.
When the law was passed, the government referred to Russia as "the most acute threat" to its security.

Three Russians have been accused by the police of trying to kill former double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018 using the military-grade nerve agent Novichok. The police claim that the three suspects are GRU military intelligence officers. In 2018, two were charged; the third was charged in 2021.

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More than 400 suspected Russian spies were reportedly expelled from Europe last year, according to Britain's domestic spy chief.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year, Britain has also been one of the country's biggest supporters and has imposed a number of sanctions on Russian officials and oligarchs.