Jake Reeves, 23, helped recruit others from Croydon and nearby to cause around £1million of damage to supplies set for Ukraine that were being stored in Leyton.
He was in turn recruited by Dylan Earl, 21, who made contact with the Wagner Group – a private military organisation that acts on behalf of the Russian state.
Five men in total have been convicted for their involvement in the fires on March 20, 2024.
Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said it was a “clear example of an organisation linked to the Russian state using proxies” to carry out criminality in the UK on its behalf.
He added: “The ringleaders – Earl and Reeves – willingly acted as hostile agents on behalf of the Russian state. (Image: Met Police)
“The warehouse arson put members of the public at great risk, and it was only by good fortune nobody was seriously injured or worse.
“Those involved showed little or no regard for the potential impact of their actions on the UK’s wider security.
“Seemingly motivated by the promise of money, they were prepared to commit criminal acts on behalf of Russia.”
The businesses based in the warehouses damaged by the arson were both Ukrainian-owned.
Upon discovering that another warehouse belonging to the same Ukrainian company was also subject to an arson attack in Madrid, Spain, detectives from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command took over the investigation.
Earl was the first to be arrested in a B&Q car park in Hinckley, Leicestershire, on April 10, 2024.
Analysis of his mobile phone revealed his contact with the Wagner Group on Telegram, via an account with the usernames ‘Privet Bot’ and ‘Lucky Strike’.
Detectives extracted 56GB of data from Earl’s phone including 5702 instant messages, 1244 e-mails, 51528 images, 3629 videos, 183 documents and 4840 social media files.
This is said to have prevented Earl and others from carrying out two further arson attacks in Mayfair.
Messages found on Earl’s phone showed that reconnaissance had already been carried out and discussions were ongoing about the use of explosives to damage buildings.
Detectives claim that Earl proposed kidnapping the owner of the business, a Russian dissident, and “exiling him back to Russia to face prison.”
Analysis of Earl’s Telegram messages showed the first person he recruited for the warehouse arson plot was Jake Reeves, who then recruited his friend Kojo Mensah to carry out the arson.
In turn, Mensah recruited his friend Jakeem Rose. Ugnius Asmena was also recruited to take part.
The investigation team established that three men – Mensah, Rose and Asmena met up on the evening of March 20, 2024 and travelled in a red Kia Picanto to the scene of the arson.
Officers found evidence that Mensah filmed the warehouse being set alight and live-streamed it on FaceTime to Earl and Reeves.
Dmitrijus Paulauskas, a friend of Reeves, and Ashton Evans, who helped Earl supply drugs, were also charged as part of the investigation as social media messages allegedly showed they were both aware of the arson attack and the planned offences in Mayfair.
On July 8, Mensah , 23, from Thornton Heath, Rose, 23, of Croydon and Asmena, 21, of no fixed address, were convicted of aggravated arson.
Paul English, 61, from Roehampton was found not guilty of the same charge.
Paulauskas 23, of Croydon was found not guilty of two counts of failing to disclose information about terrorist acts.
Evans, 20, of Newport was found not guilty of the count relating to the Leyton arson but guilty of the second count related to the plot to damage businesses in Mayfair.
Rose previously pleaded guilty to having a bladed article in a public place (in relation to a knife he left at the scene of the arson in Leyton).
Evans also previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply Class A drugs.
Earl, 21, of Elmesthorpe, Leicester, pleaded guilty to preparatory conduct, contrary to section 18 of the National Security Act (NSA) 2023, aggravated arson, possession with intent to supply Class A drugs and possession of criminal property.
Reeves, 23, of Croydon pleaded guilty to agreeing to accept a material benefit from a foreign intelligence service, contrary to section 17(2) and (11), NSA 2023, and aggravated arson.
Earl and Reeves are the first people to be convicted of offences under the National Security Act, which came into legislation at the end of 2023.
All the defendants will be sentenced at the Old Bailey at a later date.
