Two Latvian men arrested inside UK military base after breach
Two Latvian nationals were arrested after a perimeter fence was breached at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, a non-flying facility that hosts US and NATO intelligence operations. Counterterrorism police say the men, aged 36 and 32, face suspicion of trespass and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK, and investigators currently see no link to a separate incident at RAF Fairford last month.
Why It Matters
RAF Molesworth houses US and NATO intelligence centres for Europe and Africa, so any intrusion prompts heightened security and counterterrorism involvement. The arrest follows recent concerns about security at UK military sites after a major incident at RAF Fairford on 27 September.
Key Facts
- Location: RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, UK
- Date of arrests: Early hours of Thursday (following a late Wednesday security patrol)
- Suspects: Two Latvian men, aged 36 and 32, residing in the UK
- Charges: Held on suspicion of trespass and of entering a prohibited place 'for a purpose prejudicial to the UK'
- How discovered: Security patrol found an abandoned vehicle and a small breach in the perimeter fence
Counterterrorism officers arrested two Latvian men after they were found inside RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire following a perimeter fence breach. A security patrol noticed an abandoned vehicle near the base late on Wednesday, and police discovered a "small breach" in the fence before locating the men in the early hours of Thursday. The suspects, aged 36 and 32 and living in the UK, were taken to a Cambridgeshire police station and remain in custody on suspicion of trespass and entering a prohibited place "for a purpose prejudicial to the UK." Because of the nature of the site and the incident, UK counterterrorism police are leading the investigation. Commander Helen Flanagan of Counter Terrorism Policing London said authorities are conscious of recent public concern about military-site security, but that there is currently no evidence linking the Molesworth incident to events at RAF Fairford on 27 September. At Fairford, a separate major incident prompted the arrest of seven men who have since been released on bail. RAF Molesworth, originally a Second World War airbase, is now a non-flying facility managed by the United States Air Force. According to the CIA, it hosts US intelligence operation centres for Europe and Africa and functions as a NATO intelligence hub, making the intrusion a matter of heightened sensitivity for both UK and allied authorities.
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Original source: Al Jazeera