London: Three men suspected of spying for China were arrested in the UK on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said. One of the detainees is the husband of a lawmaker from the ruling Labor Party, AP reported.
Authorities said the suspects are believed to have assisted a foreign intelligence service, potentially violating the National Security Act of 2023, which was put in place to combat espionage and foreign interference.
Police have not released the names of the suspects because no one has been formally charged. Investigators said a 39-year-old man was arrested in London, while a 68-year-old and a 43-year-old man were detained in separate locations in Wales – Powys and Pontyclun, the AP reported.
Amid growing speculation about the identity of one of those detained, Labor MP Joani Reid, who represents the Scottish constituency of East Kilbride and Strathaven, confirmed that her husband was among those arrested.
Reid did not name him directly, but said she had no reason to believe he broke the law.
“I have never seen anything that would lead me to suspect that my husband broke any law,” she said in a statement. “I am not part of my husband’s business activities and neither I nor my children are part of this investigation and media organizations should not treat us as if we are.”
The arrests come as British authorities step up scrutiny of alleged Chinese espionage and political meddling in the country.
Last November, domestic intelligence agency MI5 warned MPs that Chinese agents were trying to cultivate relationships with British politicians through professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn or through front companies.
China has strongly rejected such allegations, calling them fabricated and politically motivated.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said British officials had raised concerns with Chinese authorities after the latest arrest.
“The government has been consistent and unequivocal in our assessment that China poses a series of threats to the UK,” Jarvis said, adding that the government remains concerned about “an increasing pattern of covert activity by Chinese state actors targeting British democracy.”
Counter-terrorism police said there was no immediate threat to the public in connection with the arrest.
Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads counter-terrorism policing in London, said investigations into threats to national security had grown significantly in recent years as authorities worked with partners to tackle suspected hostile activity.
