A 39-year-old man has been charged with assisting Iran's intelligence service. Vahid Aberi, of Liverpool, is accused of an offense under the National Security Act after an investigation by Counter Terrorism Policing.
Aberi was arrested in Birmingham on Wednesday and subsequently taken to a police station in the West Midlands. Detectives conducted searches at properties in Birmingham and Liverpool.
He was remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated that the agency has observed a significant and sustained increase in national security investigations in recent years. "This case is yet another example of where we've intervened to disrupt suspected activity linked to foreign intelligence services," Flanagan said. She also reassured the public that no direct threat to them, a community, or an individual has been identified in connection with this investigation.