Why small-time criminals burned a London warehouse for Russia’s mercenary group Wagner

Just before midnight last March last year, he set up a warehouse with two small -term criminals from South London, including vital communication equipment for Ukraine.

They did not do this for ideological reasons. Instead, they made for cash. The couple were the arsonists for recruitment, called “Yol Men” in court, which is now working indirectly for the wagner group of the mercenaries group, which is now controlled by the Russian state.

The connection of the fire determinants with Wagner passed a small drug dealer from Leicestershire, Dylan Earl.

Five men, including Earl, were convicted of participation in the arson attack, which caused £ 1 million damage.

Earl was in contact with pro -Russian accounts at the beginning of the month in the telegram of secure messaging application.

Minsk KGB KGB username, Ukraine in Ukraine to go to Russia and fought if he needed to fight: “I need a new start. Still need to speak Russian? Because this is not the best. Litch [literally] If you know it 30 words. “

However, until 16 March – four days before the attack – in the UK was assigned by a telegraph account of the Wagner group to do some work.

In other parts of Europe, a bad -fame telegraph account that promotes sabotage attacks and murder – “Hello Bot” used the name Privet Bot.

The account wrote to Earl: “We have the first task for you. The map shows that there are several buildings at this address. And there are warehouses among them.

“They provide sponsors and help to Ukrainian terrorists.

Some messages changed by the group have been abbreviated or written in non -traditional ways, which is commonly used to prevent social media filters from monitoring the content.

Earl contacted Jake Reeves, who was cleaner at Gatwick Airport, and through a telegraph group established to contact the criminals with each other.

At the request of Earl, Reeves from Croydon in South London seized a local acquaintance of Nii Mensah, who was ready to perform cash crimes.

Mensah had never met Earl, but soon he texted him: “Da Cevhese Bro. 3 PPL and I’m down for the car.”

On the night of March 20, four men from South London departed in Red Kia Piccanto.

Paul English was at the steering wheel. In court, he rejected what would happen at night and was not found guilty of arson.

Nineteen -year -old Ugnius Asmena sat in the passenger seat, the Mensah and his 21 -year -old friend Jakeem Rose sat back.

To the north, four men went to Leyton in London, where they headed for Thames and headed to Cromwell Industrial Zone. They parked behind the warehouses.

Mensah and Rose went out, gathered a Jerry box from the bot, climbed over a wall, and headed to one and two units. The warehouses that the Wagner group wanted to be burned were used by two enterprises to send parcels and equipment to Ukraine.

Mikhail Bolikov, both of which are an English-Ukrainian businessman, has and has partly possessed.

This was not a sophisticated attack.

Mensah transferred the entire event to Earl in FaceTime, while the Rose poured gasoline in front of the warehouses, burned a cloth and illuminated the buildings.

Four men escaped from Piccanto. But Rose accidentally on the stage with DNA on the stage is not before leaving a large zombie -style knife.

Yevhen Harassym was trying to sleep in a truck parked next to the warehouse.

Dim I heard the cracking noise of the metal rolls of the warehouse door and I noticed that something was.

“I took the fire extinguisher behind the truck.

“I was able to extinguish the fire outside the door, but the flames in the warehouse continued to burn.”

Finally, he had to retreat and move his truck to security, left the fire on the fire brigade.

For Starlink satellites, which are vital on the front of the war in Ukraine, the fire, including communication equipment, was destroyed by more than £ 100,000.

Earl was very happy, an online contact message: “This warehouse is over. This was behind all doors.

However, Wagner Group operator Privet Bot was less pleased with Telegram: “You ran to burn these warehouses without approval. Now it will be impossible to pay for this arson.

“If we had coordinated our actions, we could burn the warehouses much better and more. At once, it would have to shoot at different places around the environment and would be bigger.”

While encouraging Earl to be more patient, Privet Bot told him to watch the TV spy series The Americans, who told him the story of KGB agents working patiently in the United States in the 1980s.

But Earl was angry that he was not paying payment later from the chain he hired. In the end, they were willing to be more willing to cash. Within two days, Privet Bot had another job for Earl and his men.

Beri Two places are on in the west, Earl Earl wrote to a person who uses the ‘Kash Money’ user. Recon. Wine shop. Restaurant.”

“How much THO?” Kash Money asked.

“5,000 £. Maybe 6,” Earl replied. “If they cut off [kidnap] man 15. “

In a parallel discussion, Reeves wrote to Reeves: “Correspondence London: 1,000,00 £ east warehouse.

In the telegraph conversation with Earl, Reeves wondered why Wagner wanted the warehouse to burn. Earl wrote: “A postal provider from England to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. He was ruled by a Ukrainian man who sent 100+ trucks to Ukraine.”

Wine shop and restaurant land targeted Evgeny Chichvarkin, who was exiled.

Russia’s largest mobile phone retailers had created hundreds of millions of pounds by creating Evroset. However, he had fallen with harsh men in the Russian government and had to sell his business in 2008.

He is now running a prize wine shop called Hedonism Wines and a Michelin -starred restaurant called Hide in Mayfair, London.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine has personally continued a few medical aid trucks. In Reeves Telegram, Wagner communication was that Mr. Chichvarkin “provided him back to Russia for prison sentence”.

Earl convinced a man who was not accused of any crime to make the discoveries of his wine shop.

The shop and the restaurant were never attacked because the terrorist police broke the land and Mr. Chichvarkin was not kidnapped.

Speaking to the BBC, Chichvarkin said he was trying not to think about the threat he faced even after the unsuccessful plan.

Wagner Group’s strategy seems to be targeting people who help Ukraine in the UK and help Ukraine.

At some point, Privet Bot asked Earl: “Do you have friends among the hooligans or acquaintances in IRA?

“We need people you have in Europe and the UK. We need those who have our Kindred spirit.

“You should organize partisan cells in the country and Europe. You should think of a name for your movement. We will support you.”

As the plan developed, Earl began to lead other people to the attack on the proposed kidnapping and mayfair wine shop, including drug trafficking contacts. Ashton “Ace” Evans was a small seller from Pontywaun, near Newport in South Wales, and was one of the people that Earl approached.

“It must be clean brother. Full masks, not honey [balaclavas]. I can provide it if necessary. Gloves. No plate, “Earl wrote.” 10-15 minutes from Buckingham Palace. “

“Yhhhh this will attract a lot of attention,” Evans wrote. “MI5 and so on.”

“This owner is one billionaire from Russia.”

“Does it have to be an explos ** [explosives] Could there be just a fire? “Evans asked.

Earl replied: “Fire is possible, but if it does not burn completely, they will not pay me more than 25%.”

Evans was found guilty of not being able to explain the Mayfair plan to the police.

Until 9 April, the relationships between the theme of Earl and Wagner Group showed signs of cooling. Earl was worried and sent a message stream to Privet Bot.

“I know I can be the best spy you’ve ever seen, but we need more contact with contracts and work faster.”

“I’m a very good leader, a coordinator and organizer,” he boasted. “I offer you spy operations against individuals, jobs, government, even Europe in my country.”

Finally, Privet Bot called him to be patient.

“You remind me of myself at your age and there are things you need to learn. We will carefully sharpen you so that you are dagger in Europe and you can be sharper.”

On April 10, Earl was arrested by the fight against terrorism in the parking lot of the B&B branch in Hinckley.

Earl was found guilty of preparing serious violence on behalf of a foreign power (Russia), a crime under the new National Security Law. He also claimed that he was guilty of having cocaine with the intention of supplying aggravated arson and being guilty of the income of the crime.

Reeves was found guilty of accepting money from a foreign intelligence service – Wagner Group in accordance with the new National Security Law. He was also found guilty of aggravated arson.

During the hearing, Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubban, in the Old Bailey of London, said that the generations before them would only tell the couple as “betrayal”.

Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose, Ugnius Asmena was found guilty of aggravated arson. Rose had previously been found to have a knife.

The 61 -year -old driver Paul English was cleared of all injustices.

20 -year -old Ashton Evans was found guilty of disclosing information about terrorist actions related to the Mayfair plan, but could not give the authorities information about the warehouse arson.

Another man, 23 -year -old Dmiirjus Paulauskas, sacrificed the jury for about 22 hours, was cleaned for two similar crimes about both terrorist land.

Commander Dominic Murphy, the president of the terrorism commander of the Metropolitan Police, said that the response to state threats from Russia changed after the Salisbury nervous agent attack in 2018.

“We have made England a hostile working environment,” he said. “As a result, they communicate with the diversity and now relatively young people to act as a proxy while doing their own activities.”