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FBI arrests three alleged Russian spies; one posed as NYC banker

By Danielle Haynes

NEW YORK, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The FBI arrested three men accused of being Russian spies, one of whom posed as a banker working in Manhattan.

Federal officials busted up the alleged spy ring on Friday, arresting accused ringleader Evgeny Buryakov. Buryakov is suspected of working as an agent for Russia's foreign intelligence service, SVR, in a "non-official" cover.

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"Specifically, Buryakov is posing as an employee in the Manhattan office of a Russian bank," said a complaint filed by the FBI's Gregory Monaghan in Manhattan federal court Friday.

Buryakov is accused of "formulating questions to be used for intelligence-gathering purposes by others associated with a leading Russian state-owned news organization," the complaint said.

Buryakov is accused of working with Igor Sporyshev and Victor Podobnyy, both of whom had previously worked in the United States for Russia and were protected by diplomatic immunity.

All three are accused of gathering information to send back to Moscow.

"These charges demonstrate our firm commitment to combating attempts by covert agents to illegally gather intelligence and recruit spies within the United States," Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. "We will use every tool at our disposal to identify and hold accountable foreign agents operating inside this country -- no matter how deep their cover."

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