Two Latvian men, aged 32 and 26, have been released on bail under strict conditions following their arrest at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. The base is utilised by the US military and Nato for intelligence operations.
The men were discovered inside the facility and arrested at 2am on Thursday. An investigation had commenced four hours earlier after military police located an abandoned vehicle near the base at approximately 10pm on Wednesday. A small hole was found in the perimeter fence.
The suspects, both Latvian nationals residing in the UK, were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and causing criminal damage. They were subsequently further arrested on suspicion of an offence under section 4 of the National Security Act 2023, concerning entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, stated that while they are aware of heightened interest around military sites, their investigation has not yet linked this incident to one near RAF Fairford in September. The police investigation is ongoing, with a key line of inquiry being the potential motivation behind the men's presence at the location, including whether it is connected to criminal activity. Officers have conducted searches at two addresses in the Peterborough area.