London police announced that Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old British-Azeri citizen living in London, was arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of conducting hostile surveillance of the British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Sultanov was arrested on July 17, and Britain is seeking his extradition, according to the police.
London police have identified the suspect arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of espionage for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as Rashad Sultanov, a 44-year-old British-Azeri citizen residing in London. According to police, Sultanov conducted 'hostile surveillance' of the British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri and passed intelligence to the IRGC. He was arrested on July 17, and the UK is now seeking his extradition.
The Zioneer first reported the arrest at 10:09 Jerusalem Friday, citing Cypriot and British sources. A subsequent report at 11:22 Jerusalem noted that the suspect was a British citizen accused of monitoring the bases and sharing intelligence with Tehran, and that he faces possible extradition under the UK's National Security Law. The new details released by London police confirm the suspect's identity and the specific nature of the alleged espionage activity. British media reported that Sultanov works as a taxi driver in London.
The case is part of a broader pattern of Iranian intelligence activity targeting British military installations. As The Zioneer has reported, British police recently charged a Liverpool man with aiding Iranian intelligence operations, and arrested a Norwegian national linked to the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organized-crime gang allegedly used by the Iranian regime. The IRGC, designated a terrorist organization by the UK, has been accused of running espionage networks across Europe.
Sultanov remains in custody in Cyprus awaiting extradition to the UK. Further details of the investigation have not been disclosed.
6 developments
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- StrongHaifa resident charged with spying for Iran during wartime
Source and signal
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