On November 6, a British man, who is said to have " dreamed of being James Bond", was sentenced to 7 years in prison for trying to spicate on Russia. Ironically, all of his plans have failed as the two " messengers" he communicates with are actually undercover agents of England.
This man is Howard Phillips, 65 years old. He was found guilty by the jury in July for trying to transfer information about former British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, a senior politician he has known to, to two people he believes are Russian intelligence agents.
In the sentencing hearing at Winchester Southern District Court, Judge Bobbie Cheema Grubb concluded that Phillips acted for financial gain.
This case is not only a personal failure but also exposes the growing spiel tensions between the West and Russia, especially since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict. European security agencies have repeatedly warned against Russia's increased intelligence activities to gather information.
Phillips' case is a typical example of a successful "trap" campaign by British intelligence.
Instead of being passive about leaked information, they took action proactively: British agents pretended to be Russian spies to contact Phillips. In this way, they collected evidence and caught Phillips red-handed while committing the crime.
The Phillips' ability to access and intentionally sell information about a senior political figure like Grant Shapps is seen as a serious security threat.
The case is also reminiscent of other recent intelligence arrests. On October 27, Poland, a key NATO ally, also arrested two Ukrainian citizens suspected of collecting military intelligence and critical infrastructure for a foreign intelligence agency.
The consecutive incidents show that European counter-terrorism agencies are working actively to detect and neutralize threats from within, in the context of the increasingly complex and diverse geopolitical confrontation with Russia.
