Man hired to burn down warehouse for Wagner Group wanted to link ‘Kinahans' in with Russia
A court has heard how a man hired by the terrorist Wagner Group to burn down a warehouse linked to Ukraine boasted about linking up the IRA and the Kinahan crime cartel with Russian agents.
Leicestershire man Dylan Earl has admitted orchestrating an arson attack on the warehouse in east London last year, as well as plotting to burn down Mayfair businesses and kidnapping their Russian dissident owner.
Described as the 'architect' of the scheme, the Old Bailey heard how 20-year-old Earl had grand ambitions to 'build a link' between the IRA, the Kinahans and Russia, as he declared: 'We have direct connection to the Kremlin, we can do something big.'
Earl, who had been recruited by the terrorist group that was conducting a sabotage campaign on behalf of Russian intelligence, has admitted aggravated arson on behalf of the Wagner Group on the warehouse in Leyton, East London.
The fire destroyed over £100,000 worth of equipment, including generators and vital satellite equipment destined for Ukraine.
Jurors at the Old Bailey were shown chats between Earl, of Elmesthorpe, near Hinckley, and a Wagner Group contact identified by the handle Privet Bot, on Telegram.
Dylan Earl
News in 90 Seconds - 6th June 2025
The day before the arson attack, Privet Bot instructed Earl to watch the television series The Americans, about KGB agents undercover in the US, "in order to understand (the) work".
The court was told how Earl allegedly roped in Jake Reeves (23) from Croydon, south London, to help recruit people to carry out the arson attack on the warehouse.
Earl also revealed his plans to Ashton Evans (20) from Newport, Gwent, on Signal, Snapchat and mobile phone messages, it is alleged.
Four men accused of carrying out the arson attack, Jakeem Rose (23), Ugnius Asmena (20), Nii Mensah (23) and Paul English (61) were told to live stream it to Earl so he could report back to the Russians on the success of the 'mission'.
The four have denied aggravated arson relating to the warehouse fire.
Jake Reeves (23) from Croydon, south London
The blaze at 11.40pm on March 20 last year started with a jerry can of petrol and caused more than £1 million in damage to the premises, which was targeted because of its connection to Ukraine, with the warehouse being used to store StarLink satellite equipment and humanitarian aid bound for the war zone.
However, Russia refused to pay the arsonists because the blaze wasn't up to the Wagner Group's 'standards', the court heard, as the arsonists made a series of errors, forgetting to film the attack and having to return to the scene where they were captured on CCTV.
Reeves, from Croydon, South London, who has already admitted his part in the conspiracy, later complained: 'They were supposed to make it burn.. but they just ran in there.'
Two days after the attack, Earl admitted he was 'waiting on payment still, apparently it'll land today but it's nowhere near the amount because they didn't burn the whole thing'.
The following day, the court was told Evans had asked Earl: "Did you light it up?" before discussing the plot to burn down Hide restaurant and Hedonism wine shop in Mayfair, snatch the owner and hand him over to Russia.
On April 1 2024, Earl asked Evans to delete their chats and asked if he could make connections with the IRA or the Irish Kinahan crime family.
Earl suggested he wanted to "build a link" between the Kinahans and Russia, saying: "We have direct connection to the Kremlin, we can do suin (something) big."
After his arrest, Evans claimed he did not take the chat seriously, having jokingly told Earl: "And this is all in Minecraft (the computer game) right?"
He also claimed in a police interview that he was just stringing Earl along to get a refund for £300 of fake cocaine he had bought.
Both Earl and Reeves have pleaded guilty to aggravated arson of the east London warehouse and an offence under the National Security Act.
Prosecutor Duncan Penny, KC, told jurors: 'This was deliberate and calculated criminality - at the behest of foreign influence.
'In the case of these defendants at the time of the fire they may have been ignorant of that influence and the motive may have been financial - good old-fashioned greed.
'For others, however, it appears to have been both political and ideological.'
The case continues.
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