Two Latvian Men Arrested Inside RAF Molesworth, a UK Base Used by US and NATO

Two Latvian men were arrested early Thursday inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth, a base in Cambridgeshire, England, that hosts U.S. and NATO intelligence operations. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation, and both men remained in custody, according to The Guardian and Al Jazeera.

Police say it is too early to know why the men were there. The arrests come amid heightened concern about security at military sites in Britain after a separate incident at another base last month.

The key facts of the Molesworth arrests

• 32 and 36: the ages of the two men, who are Latvian nationals living in the UK.
• 2am Thursday: when they were arrested inside the base, according to The Guardian. The investigation began about four hours earlier, when military police found an abandoned vehicle outside the facility.
• Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023: the offense for which they were further arrested on suspicion, namely entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. They were first held on suspicion of trespass and criminal damage.
• Two searches: counter-terror police said officers were searching two addresses in the Peterborough area in connection with the case.

What happened at the base

The Guardian reported that military police, helped by Cambridgeshire officers, found a small hole in the perimeter fence before locating the men. Al Jazeera said a security patrol spotted the abandoned vehicle late Wednesday.

The vehicle was taken to a nearby police location. The Guardian reported that explosives specialists were called in after initial searches, but nothing concerning was understood to have been found. A police cordon on part of the A1 south of Peterborough and around the village of Glatton was imposed as a precaution and has since been lifted.

RAF Molesworth is a non-flying facility managed by the U.S. Air Force, according to Al Jazeera. The Guardian said it houses NATO's Intelligence Fusion Centre and the U.S. Joint Intelligence Operations Center, Europe. The Guardian added that the U.S. center does not serve Centcom, the command responsible for Iran.

What investigators say they do not know

Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counter-terrorism policing London, said there was nothing at this stage to suggest a link to the incident near RAF Fairford. She said the inquiry was at a very early stage and police were keeping an open mind about the men's motivation.

According to The Guardian, investigators have not established whether a hostile state was involved, whether the men were criminals, or whether they ended up on the site through a misjudged late-night escapade.

The Fairford context

Al Jazeera reported that a major incident was declared at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Sept. 27 and that seven men in their 20s were arrested; all have been released on bail, and one is a dual UK-Iranian national. The Guardian reported that U.S. B-1 bombers were abruptly flown out of Fairford on Sunday amid reports that Washington feared an Iran-directed drone attack. Al Jazeera said the base had been used for U.S. strikes in its war against Iran.

The Guardian said British sources remain skeptical that Iran could mount an attack of that sophistication. Five men in three white vans were seen near the base, and the inquiry into that continues.

What this means for the public

For people living near the base, the immediate effects were a brief road cordon and police searches, both of which have ended or been limited. Officials have not described any danger to the public from the Molesworth case.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, head of the armed forces, said he was confident in the safety and security of British bases, citing close intelligence ties with the U.S. He described the removal of the bombers from Fairford as an operational decision to reduce risk. Met police chief Mark Rowley said the threat picture had changed, pointing to an increased tempo of terrorism and of threats directed by states such as Iran and Russia. He said the public would see more progress on the Fairford investigation and urged people to trust the police.

Sources: The Guardian, Al Jazeera