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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Tristan Kirk

The Defector: KGB agent's defection after Soho drink drive arrest changed the shape of the Cold War

KGB Richard Kerbaj SoHo the Cold War Cold War Standard MI5 Evening Standard the Evening Standard United States
The Evening Standard published the first picture of spy defector Oleg Lyalin - (ES)

At 1.30am on a night in 1971 that was busy with Soho revellers, police officers pulled over a “wobbly” driver who was drunkenly making his way down Tottenham Court Road.

Behind the wheel of the Hillman saloon was an inebriated Oleg Lyalin, who shouted at police “you cannot talk to me….I’m a KGB officer” as the cuffs were put on.

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