Police footage shows undercover operation leading to arrest of man convicted of trying to spy for Russia

Evening Standard

Credit: Metropolitan PoliceFootage of the moment police officers arrested Howard Phillips, who has been convicted of trying to spy for Russian intelligence, and of his interactions with undercover police officers posing as Russian agents.Phillips, 65, from Harlow, Essex, intended to help two apparent Russian agents called “Sasha” and “Dima”, including by passing on personal information about former defence secretary Sir Grant Shapps, helping with travel logistics and booking hotels.

Transcript

00:00What do you know about the Secretary of Defence for the United Kingdom?

00:30It may harm the defence if you do not mentally question, something you keep late for life in court, anything you do say may be given evidence.

00:36This arrest is necessary for interview to secure evidence and to prevent disappearance, alright?

00:42I understand.

00:43No, that's what I'm saying. So, for example, you may have somebody coming into another country, pretend Spain, I don't know, South America,

00:54can you go there, get a villa, a hotel, something, all in my name, like an English, British tourist, hire a car, do all this stuff,

01:05be at a certain place or a port or whatever, meet someone, take them wherever, make sure they've got food looked after,

01:13help them do what they need to do, take them back, make sure they're safe, clear and got, so I can do things like that.

01:22Here, for example, the same thing, scenario, pick someone up, take them wherever, look after them,

01:28make sure that they are accompanied or not, if they're on their own, but make sure that they're looked after

01:35and it stops them having to put their name to things, for example, hotel bookings, hiring cars, travel documents, whatever it may be.

01:47I feel that over many, many years, there's been a lot of discredit accorded towards Russia.

01:55And I think a lot of it is absolute rubbish.

02:00Maybe there's some elements of truth, but then none of us are without sin.

02:06We all, you know, whether it be Britain or America, we all do what we feel we have to do.

02:13And as I said, I feel that also we could work well together because I don't want to have to rely on having to go back to work.

02:25Now, if I am financially independent of the UK, then I don't have to be part of it in any way.

02:32I can act independently. I have to do something. I have to earn money. What can I do?

02:39And I came up with all the things I don't want to do.

02:44And then I was thinking about, funny enough, I was thinking about maybe I need to get away holiday.

02:50Then I thought about Moscow and all that. And it's just a thought process.

02:55And I suddenly thought, maybe I can offer services and I get what I want and you get what you want.

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