US intelligence services carried out a secret operation to fly a US embassy employee in London accused of child abuse out of the UK, reports infohub.kz.
According to The Sun, the operation took place after officials launched an investigation into the diplomat's brother in the United States. Investigators allege the brother sent the diplomat indecent images of children.
During a search on August 25 at the embassy employee's apartment, US authorities found prohibited materials. After his detention, he was taken to a US airbase without notifying British authorities.
The newspaper reports that on August 24, a day before the detention, a plane flew from Chicago to Fairford airbase in Gloucestershire, where a US contingent is stationed. The next day, the same plane left Fairford and arrived at Dover US Air Force Base, then departed and landed at Chicago's O'Hare airport. The Boeing is listed as a cargo aircraft.
London police and British authorities were informed only after the diplomat had been flown out.
"They should have notified Scotland Yard when they conducted the raid and certainly when they found the material. (...) We believe that instead he was taken to a US airbase and transported over 4,000 miles (6,500 km) — to where the investigation into his brother was underway," a source said.
The secret operation is believed to have been carried out by US Marine Corps security personnel guarding the London embassy; they took the diplomat to the base as part of a US military convoy.
The US embassy confirmed it was aware of the allegations against the employee. It said it requires all staff to meet the highest standards of conduct and takes such allegations seriously.