Two Latvian men have been arrested inside a Royal Air Force base in England that is used by American personnel, and counterterrorism police are now investigating. Police say nothing so far links the case to the suspected plot against another British base a few weeks ago.
How were the men found? Ministry of Defence Police were on a security patrol at RAF Molesworth, in eastern England, when they came across an abandoned vehicle and raised the alarm, Reuters reported. Further checks turned up a small breach in the perimeter fence, and the two men, aged 32 and 36, were arrested inside the base.
Molesworth sits about 60 miles (100 km) north of London.
From trespassing to a national security arrest
At first, the men were held on suspicion of trespassing on a prohibited site and criminal damage. They were then arrested again, this time on suspicion of “entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK” under the National Security Act 2023. They have not been charged in the material provided, and the allegations remain unproven.
What goes on at Molesworth
The base hosts intelligence analysis and command operations, along with a NATO intelligence centre. American personnel use it, but it does not run flying operations.
Echoes of Fairford
The arrests come after the suspected plot against RAF Fairford, in western England, about 90 miles (145 km) from London. The U.S. military has used that base to launch missions against Iran. Several men were arrested over the Fairford plot last month. The British government has tied it to Iran, which denies any role.
Police stressed that, for now, there is no sign the Molesworth incident is connected to Fairford. Still, the two cases have fed worries about security at Britain’s military sites, especially those used by U.S. forces. The U.S. said on Monday that a threat linked to Iran was the reason it pulled its bombers out of Fairford.
