U.K. police arrested two Latvian men for trespassing into a Royal Air Force base, at a time of heightened tensions following a suspected bombing plot last week.
The two men were arrested after a security patrol at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire came across an abandoned vehicle on Wednesday night, prompting a search that discovered a breach in the perimeter fence and then the men inside the base’s perimeter. They were arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a prohibited site and criminal damage, but their charges have since been upgraded to entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom, under the National Security Act 2023.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the incident isn’t believed to be connected to the incident at RAF Fairford.
“We’re very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest this incident is connected to the events at RAF Fairford last week,” she said.
The harsh treatment of the trespassers, whose motives remain unestablished, reflects U.K. law enforcement’s heightened alert following last week’s incident, which is still under investigation.
Last week, five men were arrested a short distance from RAF Fairford after a local farmer reported three suspicious vans in the area. A major police response was mounted, and the five men at the scene were arrested on explosives charges. A bomb disposal robot was deployed to examine the vans, but police later said only petrol was found, not bombs. The five men were released on bail soon after, prompting heavy criticism.
Counterterrorism officials have left open the possibility that the incident was a planned attack on the base, possibly at the behest of a foreign government, but haven’t provided any definitive answers. Two more people have been arrested in connection with the incident, including a dual U.K.-Iranian national.
UK NATIONAL ARRESTED IN CONNECTION WITH RAF FAIRFORD INVESTIGATION
RAF Fairford was considered a particularly sensitive location due to its hosting of heavy U.S. bombers used against Iran. RAF Molesworth is also a sensitive location, serving as the home of the U.S. intelligence operations centers for Europe and Africa.
U.K. police say they are keeping an open mind about Wednesday’s trespassing case.