Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves have become the first people to be prosecuted using the National Security Act 2023 for activity linked to a foreign state

Jake Reeves and Dylan Earl, Credit: Met Police

Two men who organised an arson attack on a Ukrainian-owned business in east London on behalf of Russia, have been sentenced to a combined total of 29 years in jail.

Following a Counter Terrorism Policing London investigation, Dylan Earl and Jake Reeves have become the first people to be prosecuted using the National Security Act 2023 for activity linked to a foreign state.

Approximately £1million of damage was caused after two units in an industrial estate in Leyton, containing supplies for Ukraine, were deliberately set alight on 20th March last year.

An investigation by CTP London found that Earl, 21, established contact with the Wagner Group, a private military organisation that acts on behalf of the Russian state, in 2023.

Earl then worked with Reeves to recruit a group of men – Nii Mensah, Jakeem Rose and Ugnius Asmena – to carry out the arson.

They also organised surveillance of two businesses in Mayfair in preparation for further arson attacks.

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Counter Terrorism Policing London, said: “This case is clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using ‘proxies’ – in this case British men – to carry out very serious criminal activity in this country on their behalf.

“The ringleaders – Earl and Reeves – acted willingly as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state. I am pleased that, working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service, we were able to use the new National Security Act legislation, which meant the severity of Earl and Reeves’s offending was reflected in the charges they faced.

“In recent years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of counter-state-threat investigations and the use of ‘proxies’ is a new tactic favoured by hostile states such as Russia.

“For anyone tempted to carry out similar criminal activity, either for payment or ideological reasons, the long prison sentences in this case should act as a stark warning on the serious consequences of committing offences on behalf of a foreign country.”

The fire was initially investigated by local Met officers in Waltham Forest. However, after officers became aware that another warehouse belonging to the same Ukrainian company was also subject to an arson attack in Madrid, Spain, detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command took over the investigation.

Met counter terrorism detectives then worked quickly to identify the individuals involved, which led them to suspect that Earl was the architect of the plot.

Earl was the first to be arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Leicestershire, on 10 April 2024. Analysis of his mobile phone revealed his contact with the Wagner Group on Telegram, via an account with the usernames ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.

In total, detectives extracted 56GB of data from Earl’s phone including, 5,702 instant messages, 1,244 e-mails, 51,528 images, 3,629 videos, 183 documents and 4,840 social media files; some of the content required translation from Russian.

The investigation was crucial in preventing Earl and others from carrying out further arson attacks at two premises in Mayfair – evidence of which was found by officers following his arrest.

Analysis of Earl’s Telegram messages showed the first person he recruited for the warehouse arson plot was Reeves, who then recruited his friend Mensah to carry out the arson. In turn, Mensah recruited his friend Rose. Asmena was also recruited to take part.

The investigation team established that three men – Mensah, Rose and Asmena – met up on the evening of 20th March 2024 and travelled in a red Kia Picanto to the scene of the arson. Officers found evidence that Mensah filmed the warehouse being set alight and livestreamed it on Face Time to Earl and Reeves.

At the Old Bailey on 24 October, they were sentenced to the following: Earl to a total of 23 years, including 17 years in custody, and Reeves to a total of 13 years, including 12 years in custody.

Mensah was sentenced to 10 years, including nine years in custody, Rose a total of 9 years including eight years in custody, Asmena a total of eight years, including seven years in custody, and Evans was sentenced to a total of 10 years, including nine years in custody.

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