A researcher at the UK Parliament has been arrested under the Official Secrets Act, amid claims he was spying for China.
Chris Cash, 28, was closely linked with Tom Tugendhat and was employed as a researcher by Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Commons foreign affairs committee.
The suspect is the son of a GP and grew up in a wealthy suburb of Edinburgh. He went to the fee-paying George Watson’s College, where he was a head of house, and later studied history at the University of St Andrews.
Police have confirmed two men, one in his 20s and another in his 30s, were arrested under the act in March.
Sources last night told the BBC one of them was a parliamentary researcher involved in international affairs issues.
As first reported in the Sunday Times, it is understood the researcher had links to several Conservative MPs.
Cash is reported to have had links to security minister Tom Tugendhat and foreign affairs committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns, among others.
The Metropolitan Police said: "A man in his 30s was arrested at an address in Oxfordshire and a man in his 20s was arrested at an address in Edinburgh.
"Searches were also carried out at both the residential properties, as well as at a third address in east London."
Both men were taken to a south London police station, and were subsequently released on police bail until a date in early October, it said.
The Met's Counter Terrorism Command, which oversees espionage-related offences, is investigating.
It is reported the researcher had access to Mr Tugendhat before he became security minister in September last year.
Mr Tugendhat is said to have had only limited contact with the man, and no dealings with him as a minister.
Conservative MP Alicia Kearns said she was aware of the paper's report but declined to comment, adding: "While I recognise the public interest, we all have a duty to ensure any work of the authorities is not jeopardised."