Teens being arrested over hostile states using proxies on UK soil - as number of investigations surges

Teenagers as young as 15 are being arrested by police investigating plots by hostile states to destabilise Britain.

Counter terror police bosses are warning how easy it is for young people to be exploited and used as proxies to carry out crimes on UK soil, as countries like Iran, Russia and China "actively looking to intervene in our way of life".

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, the head of Counter Terror Policing Laurence Taylor said the number of national security investigations his officers are working on has risen by 50% since the end of last year - and is showing "no sign of slowing down".

Senior national co-ordinator Vicki Evans said using proxies was "tactic number one" for hostile states who see them as "cheap and replaceable assets" who are unwittingly drawn into plots.

Ms Evans cautioned that "anyone can be targeted" - adding it can happen anywhere: online, at home or work.

She said: "In this area of work we've seen teenagers as young as 15 arrested.

"You might not even know you are being targeted by Moscow or Tehran or Hong Kong, but the outcome is the same for those who are being tasked with these acts.

"It means they are being used by a hostile state and the weight of the law is very heavy when you're caught."

More from Sky News: Why Iranian terror recruitment is a danger for the UK

The promises of money and help "fall away like sandcastles at high tide when the acts are completed", she added.

Ms Evans also said that while she supports the social media ban for under-16s, this alone will not be enough to counter such threats.

Iran takes up the "largest proportion" of hostile states case work for counter terror police, she said, adding that the department was last year faced with more than 20 Iranian-backed plots, including kidnaps and assassinations on UK soil.

A recent spate of antisemitic attacks on Jewish sites in London was claimed by a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, thought to be backed by Iran.

Earlier this month, two Romanian nationals - who had been recruited by Iran - were jailed for stabbing a journalist from a dissident TV station.

Officers also face a "constant stream" of surveillance plots and attempts to "infiltrate" everyday life from Russia.

Home Office to crack down on proxies

It comes as new laws to crack down on groups working on behalf of hostile states are coming into force.

The National Security (State Threats) Act received royal assent on Wednesday.

The legislation gives the Home Secretary powers to make it illegal to support groups working on behalf of hostile foreign powers in the UK.

Supporting, assisting or getting paid by a designated group could mean a punishment of up to 14 years in prison.

(c) Sky News 2026: Teens being arrested over hostile states using proxies on UK soil - as number of investig