Hostile states recruit youths for crime, Met warns

The Metropolitan Police warns of hostile states like Russia and Iran recruiting youths for criminal activities in London, with a five-fold rise in such activity since the Salisbury poisonings. Recent convictions over an east London warehouse arson targeting aid for Ukraine highlight the issue. Parents are urged to monitor their children's online activities as motivations for recruitment include money, notoriety, and a sense of belonging. Foreign powers are increasingly targeting young people as proxies, prompting concerns over national security and the need to disrupt state threats.