Two Bulgarians convicted of spying for Russia in the United Kingdom have been released after serving half of their prison sentences and have been deported back to Bulgaria. Vanya Gaberova and Ivan Stoyanov were sentenced last May at the Old Bailey following their involvement in what British authorities described as one of the most extensive and complex espionage operations uncovered on UK soil in recent years.

The espionage network operated out of a guesthouse in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and is reported to have passed intelligence to Russian officials over a nearly three-year period. The group targeted a range of subjects, including a U.S. airbase in Germany, and surveilled opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Some members of the ring were allegedly involved in plotting kidnappings and murders.

Gaberova, 31, who ran a beauty salon in Acton, west London, was sentenced to six years and eight months in prison. According to court documents, she was intended to be involved in “honeytrap” operations—using personal relationships to extract information. Stoyanov, 34, a mixed martial arts practitioner from Greenford, west London, received a five-year sentence and was considered the physical enforcer within the operation.

The spy ring was reportedly orchestrated from Moscow by Jan Marsalek, a fugitive businessman wanted for his role in the £1.6 billion Wirecard fraud scandal. Marsalek remains at large.

Authorities have indicated that four other members of the espionage group, all of whom received custodial sentences, are expected to be deported to Bulgaria after serving at least half of their terms in prison. The British government’s handling of the case underscores ongoing concerns about foreign intelligence activities on UK soil and the wider geopolitical tensions involving Russia.