Two Latvian citizens have been arrested after being found inside the perimeter of the British military base RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. The men are aged 32 and 36 and live in the UK, British police said.
The alarm was raised at around 10pm on 7 October when a Ministry of Defence police patrol noticed an abandoned car near the base. A subsequent search revealed a small breach in the fence. At around 2am on 8 October, the two men were found and arrested on the military site.
They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespassing and criminal damage. Later, a possible breach of section 4 of the UK National Security Act 2023 was added to the suspicions. The text refers to entering a prohibited place with a purpose that could harm the security or interests of the UK. If proven guilty, the law provides for up to 14 years in prison, a fine or both.
The investigation has been taken over by the British police's counter-terrorism unit. Searches are being carried out at two addresses in the Peterborough area, and the two suspects remain in police custody.
Checking for connection to another incident
The abandoned car has been taken for further examination. Explosives experts were called to the scene after concerns were raised during the inspection. No dangerous objects were found and temporary road restrictions in the area have been lifted.
„The investigation is at a very early stage. Part of it is to establish a possible motive for the men being on the base, but we are taking a non-judgmental approach," said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of London's counter-terrorism unit.
Flanagan also said that there was no evidence so far that the RAF Molesworth break-in was linked to a separate incident at RAF Fairford in late September. Seven people were arrested there on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, but they were later released on bail.
A base for intelligence operations
RAF Molesworth is not an active airfield for fighter jets. The base is home to intelligence structures used by the US and NATO, which is one of the reasons why the case is being investigated by counter-terrorism services. Police have not said what the two men were looking for or whether they had any equipment or materials at the time of their arrest.
No charges have been filed at this time, and the two remain suspects. Investigators are still trying to figure out how they got past the fence and why they were on the base.
Sources: rbc.ru, apnews.com, theguardian.com