A man of British and Azerbaijani descent, Rashad Sultanov, aged 44 and residing in Islington, North London, has been taken into custody by authorities in Cyprus on suspicions of conducting surveillance activities at the RAF Akrotiri base and subsequently sharing gathered information with Iran. This arrest is part of an ongoing inquiry overseen by Counter Terrorism Policing London, focusing on incidents that occurred at RAF Akrotiri from May 11 to June 22 of this year.
Charges under Sections 3 and 4 of the National Security Act have been approved by the Crown Prosecution Service, accusing Sultanov of engaging in hostile surveillance at the military site and transmitting the acquired data to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an external intelligence agency.
Commander Helen Flanagan, leading Counter Terrorism Policing London, emphasized the significance of utilizing the National Security Act abroad in cases where British military installations face potential threats from foreign state-sponsored activities. Collaborative efforts between British and Cypriot law enforcement agencies have been extensive, with ongoing coordination involving the CPS, National Crime Agency, and Cypriot authorities as the extradition process advances.