A man jailed in the United Kingdom for spying on the offices of anti-regime outlet Iran International has said he was offered €50,000 (approximately $58,000) by his handlers, Britain’s Sunday Times reports.
Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, a 33-year-old Austrian national of Chechen origin, is thought to have been freed last week and deported to Austria.
The report says that he disclosed the payment offer at a recent parole board hearing.
According to the newspaper, police were unable to prove that Dovtaev received his orders from Tehran, but strongly suspected it to be the case.
The parole board disclosure comes amid a string of attacks on Jewish targets in London in recent weeks which are thought to be tied to Iranian security services. British police have warned “thugs for hire” against carrying out attacks.
There have also been a growing number of cases of Israelis hired by Iran to carry out espionage and vandalism.
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