Man suspected of spying on UK military base for Iran arrested in Cyprus

A dual British-Azerbaijani national has been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on a British air base on the Mediterranean island and passing information to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, London police said on Friday.

Rashad Sultanov, 44, from Islington in north London, was ⁠arrested on July 17 by Cypriot authorities and is being held in custody as extradition proceedings progress, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

He was arrested as part of Britain's first overseas National Security Act investigation, led by counter-terrorism police into incidents at Britain's RAF ⁠Akrotiri base in Cyprus between May 11 and June 22 last year, the statement said.

Sultanov allegedly conducted hostile surveillance on the base and is ⁠alleged to have then shared information with the IRGC, it added.

"This case shows we are able to ⁠use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by ⁠hostile state activity," Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing in London, said in the statement.


Reuters