By the end of the day, the Daily Star had enough facts for a front-page splash in Friday’s paper. It was a story with the by-line of their Security Correspondent, together with the photo of Marina and Betty, and with the bold headline:
WHEN A PORTSMOUTH WOMAN MET A VISITING SAILOR IN PORTSMOUTH ON WEDNESDAY, TWO MI5 AGENTS INTERRUPTED THEIR TRYST AND TOOK THEM TO THE LOCAL POLICE STATION FOR QUESTIONING. THE WOMAN WORKS IN THE NAVY HQ IN THE DOCKYARD, AND THE SAILOR HAD ARRIVED EARLIER IN THE DAY ON BOARD A RUSSIAN WARSHIP.
NO NAMES HAVE BEEN RELEASED, BUT THE WOMAN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY HER NEIGHBOURS AS MARINA PETERS AND IS REPORTED TO BE SINGLE, AGED ABOUT 30, AND HAS WORKED AT THE DOCKYARD FOR ABOUT THREE YEARS (photo shows Marina on the left with her friend Betty McGuire at the Portsmouth Navy Day earlier this year).
A STATEMENT FROM THE FOREIGN OFFICE CONFIRMED THAT THE RUSSIAN HAD ARRIVED IN PORTSMOUTH ON BOARD THE FRIGATE RS ADMIRAL ESSEN, AND THAT THE WOMAN WORKED IN THE ROYAL NAVY COMMODORE’S OFFICE IN PORTSMOUTH. THEY WERE “DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING” AS PART OF A LONG-TERM SECURITY OPERATION BY MI5.
THE FOREIGN OFFICE SAID THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR HAD BEEN INFORMED AND THAT FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS WERE TAKING PLACE.
THE ADMIRAL ESSEN IS ONE OF THREE NEW RUSSIAN FRIGATES WHICH ARRIVED IN PORTSMOUTH TO REFUEL DURING EXERCISES IN THE ATLANTIC. THIS IS A RARE VISIT BUT IS DESCRIBED BY NAVAL EXPERTS AS “A COURTESY BETWEEN NAVIES IN MANY COUNTRIES.”
(SPY FLASHBACK! THESE RUSSIAN SHIPS ARE MOORED AT THE SAME JETTY WHERE ANOTHER FAMOUS SPY INCIDENT OCCURRED IN 1956. THAT WAS WHEN THE CRUISER ORDZHONIKIDZE BROUGHT THE SOVIET LEADERS KHRUSCHEV AND BULGANIN TO BRITAIN AND THE NAVY FROGMAN COMMANDER “BUSTER” CRABB MADE HIS FATAL ATTEMPT TO SPY ON THE UNDERWATER EQUIPMENT OF THE SHIP.)
8.
OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT
At the Portsmouth Police Station on Thursday morning, the Chief Constable and his head of CID were assessing the implications of the major situation which had suddenly descended on them. They were concerned that on MI5 and Scotland Yard instructions, they had now detained the two individuals overnight as a security inquiry and were trying to decide what to do next. They were relieved when one of the MI5 officers came into the office to tell them that after discussions with his boss, they were planning to leave for London shortly with the Russian officer.
Then he added, “But it will be your job to take further statements from the woman we detained and to make a decision on when it is appropriate to release her on bail – pending further inquiries, of course. There is not enough evidence to charge her with anything at present, but we suggest you keep an eye on her and give her a warning about not talking to the press or anyone else about it.”
He also asked them to interview her Navy bosses to establish whether she had signed the Official Secrets Act and to find out what confidential information she might have been aware of. Then he said, almost as an afterthought, “By the way, be a bit careful – she has a Russian background herself – she used to be Marina Petrov.”
This unexpected news certainly got the attention of the two senior Portsmouth Police officers. They sat upright in their chairs and looked at each other knowingly, both thinking what the CID Chief then said: “Wow – this is now a whole new ball game!” As he left and said goodbye, the MI5 man added, “And by the way, say nothing to the press about this – if they get wind of the detention of the Russian, just say that there will be a statement from the Foreign Office in due course.”
Left on their own, Matthew Sampson then told his CID chief, Paul Maggs, about the call he had received earlier from the editor of the Herald. “We’ve got a problem – the cat is already out of the bag. I don’t know how they heard about it, but we can’t put it back in now! I think you had better go down to join the London guys now and see them off with their Russian – and then follow up with this woman. What’s her name now?”
Detective Superintendent Maggs, informed him: “Well, her English name is Marina Peters,” and he went off to set up the arrangements for the formal interview with her. But first, in the CID department, the two men from MI5 gave him a quick summary of their meetings during the night and then prepared to leave with the Russian, who was still protesting and now looking even more unkempt.
The Chief Constable then placed another call to the Navy Commodore’s office. This time, he reached Commander Gaffney, who said he had been expecting the call and thanked him for the earlier message when an officer who said he was from London had explained the absence of the staff member from the Communications Office. Told that the lady concerned was being interviewed at the police station on a security matter and that the press were already making inquiries, Gaffney said this was a worrying development and he had no idea how the story had leaked and continued: “I’ve already heard from the MOD that this now also a matter for MI5 and the Foreign Office because it involves a Russian national, and that the FO will be issuing a statement later today. We are bound to get more inquiries from the press because an official statement will go to all the usual places. Will that help you?”
“The sooner the better,” replied the Chief Constable. “Will you be dealing with any press inquiries about this woman Peters? She is still here at the station for questioning, but she has not been charged with any offence at this stage. We’ve already had a call from the local paper, and we still have to decide what to do with her… Can you tell me any more? Has she been there long, and was she doing any secret or confidential work?”
“We’ve had no problems with her since she joined us,” continued the Commander. “She is a bright and intelligent lady, from what I know. What does she do? Well, she’s in the department which handles all the comms traffic between us and the Admiralty – ship movements, future plans and so on. Sorry, I’m an old-timer, and I still call it the Admiralty instead of the MOD… and all the staff here have to sign the Official Secrets Act, of course. And I really have no idea what the link is with the Russian fellow except that I assume it is connected with the three frigates which arrived yesterday. I guess your MI5 guys will know more about that.”
“Thank you, Robert, we are all working on it,” replied Matthew. “And by the way, did you know that Miss Peters used to be Miss Petrov and has a Russian family background?”
There was a moment’s silence. “Can’t say I did, old man. But I suspect it’s all in her files – or I hope it is. Goodbye for now.”
Downstairs in the CID’s interview room, Detective Superintendent Maggs, with one of his bright young detective sergeants, was ready to start their formal questioning of Marina Peters. After her late-night session with MI5, she had managed to get a few hours’ rest. She had been taken to the ladies’ cloakroom by a policewoman for an opportunity to freshen up and was offered a bacon sandwich and coffee brought up from the staff canteen. The solicitor, Jeremy Scott, had returned early and accompanied Marina when she went into the interview room again.
“Do you know why you are here, Miss Peters?” Maggs began, in his best attempt at a friendly voice.
“Not really,” she replied quietly. “May I speak to my supervisor at the office?”
“Not at the moment, I’m afraid, but they know you are here. Now, you have not been charged with any offence, so there is no need to caution you. And I know you are tired and upset after an all-night session here, so I will try to keep this as easy for you as I can. Mr. Scott, your solicitor here, will give you any help and advice you may need if you are in any doubt. But first, may I ask you how well you know this Russian navy officer called Nikolai Aldanov?”