UK police arrest two men at RAF Molesworth as seventh Fairford suspect is bailed

Perimeter breach at RAF Molesworth

Ministry of Defence Police security patrols identified an abandoned vehicle near RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire at approximately 22:00 BST on Wednesday, 7 October. Officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary attended the scene to assist with searches around the perimeter of the installation. A subsequent search identified a small breach in the perimeter fence, leading officers to find and detain two men inside the base grounds. The detained individuals, aged 32 and 36, are Latvian nationals who reside in the United Kingdom. They were initially held on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage before being re-arrested under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 for entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. Counter Terrorism Policing London took charge of the investigation while both suspects remained in custody.

Strategic roles of the Cambridgeshire facility

RAF Molesworth serves as an operational base for several United States military and allied intelligence entities. The installation accommodates three commands, consisting of United States European Command, United States Africa Command, and the Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe Analytic Centre. It also houses the Intelligence Fusion Centre run by NATO, which provides intelligence support for allied military operations and Euro-Atlantic deterrence. Police officials noted public concern surrounding defense infrastructure following the recent security alert in Gloucestershire. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, addressed public concern while assessing the motive behind the breach.

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.

Flanagan stated that inquiries remain in their initial stages and affirmed that detectives are keeping an open mind regarding the intrusion.

Suspect bailed in RAF Fairford investigation

Earlier on Thursday, 8 October, British counter-terrorism police released a 22-year-old British man on bail under strict conditions. The man had been arrested in Westminster, central London, on Tuesday, 6 October, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. His release marks the seventh suspect bailed in connection with an alleged plot directed against RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. That inquiry began on 27 September, when police stopped three suspicious vans near the base, seized a quantity of petrol, and arrested five British men in their twenties. Authorities evacuated dozens of homes in the area during the initial operation, though no explosive materials were discovered inside the vehicles. Four days after those first arrests, officers detained a sixth man, a dual British-Iranian national, before also releasing him on bail.

Bomber redeployments and Iranian threat links

The alert at RAF Fairford followed operations where American forces used the Gloucestershire airbase to conduct strikes against targets in Iran. Over the weekend of 3 to 4 October, the Pentagon removed its bomber aircraft from RAF Fairford and redeployed them to home stations in the United States. United States officials told reporters that the redeployment followed specific intelligence indicating an Iranian plot to launch a complex drone attack against the airfield. Prime minister Andy Burnham stated there were strong indications of Iranian involvement in the Fairford incident, which followed earlier arson attacks targeting Jewish sites in London. While Downing Street insisted on Monday that RAF Fairford remained secure, the Pentagon reiterated that the United States Air Force retains the capacity to launch strikes anywhere globally at any time.