Ex-British embassy guard in Berlin charged with spying for Russia

A former security guard at the British embassy in Berlin has been charged with spying for the Russian state after being extradited back to the UK, the Metropolitan police has said.

Smith was extradited to the UK from Germany on Wednesday after his arrest by German police on 10 August 2021. He is due to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Thursday. Scotland Yard said the investigation was led by counter-terrorism officers.

One of the charges faced by Smith relates to allegations that he passed information to a person he believed was a representative of the Russian state, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.