عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Former UK Marine Charged with Spying Found Dead in London

A view of the British capital, London. (Reuters)
A view of the British capital, London. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Former UK Marine Charged with Spying Found Dead in London

A view of the British capital, London. (Reuters)
A view of the British capital, London. (Reuters)

A former member of the UK's Royal Marines, bailed by a court last week over allegations of assisting Hong Kong's intelligence services in a Chinese-linked espionage case, has been found dead, British police said Tuesday.

Matthew Trickett, 37, was found dead in a park in Maidenhead, west of London, on Sunday following a report by a member of the public, Thames Valley Police said, according to AFP.

Trickett had more recently been employed as an immigration enforcement officer and private investigator, the UK's PA news agency reported.

He was formerly employed by the UK Border Force at Heathrow Airport, before joining Home Office Immigration Enforcement on February 21, 2024, PA said.

“An investigation is ongoing into the death, which is currently being treated as unexplained,” the police force said in a statement.

Trickett, from southeast England, was one of three men accused in the Hong Kong spy case.

The three suspects were arrested early this month. Trickett was then released on bail along with Chi Leung Wai, 38, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, pending their next court appearance, scheduled to take place on Friday.

Between December 20, 2023, and May 2, 2024, they are accused of agreeing to undertake information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist a foreign intelligence service.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Kremlin Says Various Conditions Must Be Met Before Black Sea Security Deal Can Be Activated 

Cars drive in front of Moscow's Kremlin along Tverskaya street in Moscow, Russia, 21 March 2025. (EPA) 
Cars drive in front of Moscow's Kremlin along Tverskaya street in Moscow, Russia, 21 March 2025. (EPA) 
TT
TT

Kremlin Says Various Conditions Must Be Met Before Black Sea Security Deal Can Be Activated 

Cars drive in front of Moscow's Kremlin along Tverskaya street in Moscow, Russia, 21 March 2025. (EPA) 
Cars drive in front of Moscow's Kremlin along Tverskaya street in Moscow, Russia, 21 March 2025. (EPA) 

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that a number of conditions must be met before a Black Sea maritime security deal negotiated with the United States can be activated, pointing to an earlier agreement which it said saw Moscow's needs ignored.

The United States reached separate deals on Tuesday with Ukraine and Russia to cease fighting in the Black Sea and pause attacks against energy targets, with Washington agreeing to push to lift some sanctions against Moscow.

While Russian exports of food and fertilizer are not subject to Western sanctions, Moscow has said restrictions on payments, logistics and insurance have amounted to a barrier to shipments.

Russia wants the reconnection of its state agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payments system. That and other steps could require agreement from European countries.

"As for the Black Sea grain initiative, it can be activated after a number of conditions are implemented," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"These are the same conditions that were included in the (original) Black Sea Initiative...all the conditions of which were fulfilled except for those concerning the Russian side. So, of course, this time round justice must prevail and we will continue our work with the Americans."

Moscow in 2023 withdrew from the original deal, brokered by the United Nations and Türkiye in 2022, complaining that obstacles to its own food and fertilizer exports had not been eased as promised under the terms of that agreement.