8 hrs ago
Two Latvian Men Arrested After RAF Molesworth Breach
Two Latvian men were found inside RAF Molesworth, a military base used by US personnel.
Police say the men are 32 and 36 and live in Britain.
A patrol first found an abandoned vehicle, and checks then found a small opening in the base’s fence.
The men were arrested on suspicion of trespassing and damaging property.
They were later arrested under a national security law.
Experts checked the vehicle and found nothing concerning.
Police are also searching two addresses near Peterborough.
So far, police say they have no evidence that this case is connected to a separate suspected plot involving RAF Fairford.
Two Latvian men, aged 32 and 36, were arrested inside RAF Molesworth after police found a small breach in its perimeter fence.
The Ministry of Defence Police raised the alarm after finding an abandoned vehicle during a security patrol.
The men were initially arrested on suspicion of trespassing and criminal damage, then under the National Security Act 2023.
Bomb disposal officers examined the vehicle and found nothing of concern; police also searched two addresses near Peterborough.
Police said they had found no evidence so far linking the Molesworth incident to the separate suspected plot at RAF Fairford.
- Who
- Two Latvian men, aged 32 and 36, were arrested; counter-terrorism police are investigating.
- What
- The men were arrested inside RAF Molesworth and later on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
- Where
- RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, north of London.
- When
- Late Wednesday or in the early hours of Thursday, October 8; the articles do not specify the year.
- Why
- Police are investigating the men’s entry into the base; their purpose has not been established.
Officials’ assurances
Security concerns
Security at British bases
Officials’ assurances
UK defence officials said they take base security seriously, and the head of Britain’s armed forces said the country’s bases were safe.
Security concerns
The incidents at Molesworth and Fairford have increased scrutiny and concern about security at British military sites used by US forces.
Connection between incidents
Officials’ assurances
Police said there was nothing so far to suggest the Molesworth arrests were connected to the suspected plot at RAF Fairford.
Security concerns
The two incidents occurring weeks apart have fueled broader concerns about threats to military sites, but the articles do not establish a link between them.
Key facts
- Base
- RAF Molesworth, a base used by US personnel for intelligence and command work
- Arrestees
- Two Latvian nationals, aged 32 and 36, who police said were resident in Britain
- Initial suspicions
- Trespassing on a prohibited site and criminal damage
- Later suspicion
- Entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK under the National Security Act 2023
- Security findings
- An abandoned vehicle and a small breach in the perimeter fence
- Vehicle examination
- Bomb disposal officers found nothing of concern
- Other police activity
- Two addresses in the Peterborough area were searched
- RAF Fairford connection
- Police said there was nothing so far to suggest the incidents were connected
Quotes
US Air Force spokesperson
Spokesperson for the US Air Force
“We have enormously close relationships from an intelligence perspective and operationally with the US, and that’s what gives me confidence around the safety and security of our bases here.”
livemint.com
“We remain in close coordination with our UK partners to help ensure the safety and security of both our military and local communities.”
theprint.in
Helen Flanagan
Head of Counter Terrorism Policing London
“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.”
theprint.in
theprint.in
Sources
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