London: Three men suspected of spying for China were arrested in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, the Metropolitan Police said. One of those detained is the husband of a lawmaker from the governing Labor Party, AP reported.
Authorities said the suspects are believed to have assisted a foreign intelligence service, potentially violating the National Security Act 2023, which was introduced to counter espionage and foreign interference.
Police did not disclose the names of the suspects as none have been formally charged. According to investigators, a 39-year-old man was arrested in London, while a 68-year-old and a 43-year-old were detained in separate locations in Wales — Powys and Pontyclun, AP reported.
Amid growing speculation about the identity of one of the detainees, 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 directly name him but said she had no reason to believe he had broken the law.
“I have never seen anything to make me suspect my husband has broken 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 we should not be treated by media organizations as though we are.”
The arrests come as British authorities step up scrutiny of alleged Chinese espionage and political interference in the country.
Last November, the domestic intelligence agency MI5 warned members of Parliament that Chinese agents were attempting to cultivate relationships with British politicians through professional networking platforms like LinkedIn or through front companies.
China has strongly denied such allegations, describing them as fabricated and politically motivated.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said British officials have raised concerns with Chinese authorities following the latest arrests.
“The Government has been consistent and unambiguous in our assessment that China presents a series of threats to the United Kingdom,” Jarvis said, adding that the government remained worried about “an increasing pattern of covert activity from Chinese state-linked actors targeting UK democracy.”
Counterterrorism police said there was no immediate threat to the public linked to the arrests.
Commander Helen Flanagan, who leads counterterrorism policing in London, said investigations into national security threats had grown significantly in recent years as authorities work with partners to counter suspected hostile activities.
