British man arrested in Cyprus accused of ‘hostile surveillance’ for Iran's IRGC

A British man has been arrested on suspicion of conducting hostile surveillance at an RAF base in Cyprus and sharing information with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), police said.

Rashad Sultanov, 44, a dual UK and Azerbaijani national, was arrested on 17 July by Cypriot authorities and is being held in custody as extradition proceedings progress, the Metropolitan Police said.

The force said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has authorised charges against him under the National Security Act.

The arrest of Sultanov, of Islington, north London, was part of the first investigation using the National Security Act in relation to alleged offences in an overseas territory, the force added.

The charges relate to alleged hostile surveillance at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus / Credit: Jonathan Brady/PA

It follows an investigation led by Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) London, into incidents at RAF Akrotiri between May 11 and June 22 last year.

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of CTP London, said: “This case shows we are able to use the National Security Act overseas when British military bases are allegedly targeted by hostile state activity.

“A huge amount of partnership work has been carried out between British and Cypriot law enforcement agencies.

“We continue to work with colleagues from the CPS, National Crime Agency and Cypriot authorities as extradition proceedings progress.”