Two Latvian men arrested for trespass at RAF base used by US and Nato

Two Latvian men have been arrested on suspicion of trespass offences at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, which is used by US armed forces. Counter-terror police (CTP) said it did not think the incident “is connected to the events at RAF Fairford last week”, but it is “keeping an open mind”. The two men, aged 32 and 36, were arrested within the base after patrols found an abandoned vehicle near the site on Wednesday night. Shorts It comes after a major incident was declared and dozens of homes were evacuated near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire after three suspicious vans were spotted by the base on 27 September. Police have said they believe today’s arrests at the Cambridge base are unconnected. RAF Molesworth is used as an intelligence hub for the US’s operations in Europe and Africa. Three US major command branches are based there: the United States European Command, the Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe Analytic Centre and the United States Africa Command. It is also home to Nato’s Intelligence Fusion Centre, which provides “timely, relevant, and accurate intelligence in order to support planning and execution of Nato operations; and enable deterrence and defence of the Euro-Atlantic area”. The timeline of events At 10pm on Wednesday night, a security patrol discovered an abandoned vehicle near the perimeter of the Cambridgeshire base. Ministry of Defence (MOD) police and Cambridge Police carried out further searches, discovering a “small breach of the perimeter fence” in the early hours of the morning. Around 2am, the two Latvian nationals were discovered and arrested “inside the base perimeter”. They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage and taken to a Cambridgeshire police station. The pair have since been further arrested on suspicion of an offence under section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 – namely entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. They both remain in police custody and counter terrorism police are investigating the matter. What has the police said so far? Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of CTP London, which is leading the investigation, said: “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. “Our investigation into this incident is at its very early stages. A big part of this is looking at any potential motivation as to why the men were present at the site, but I must stress we are keeping an open mind at this stage and enquiries are very much ongoing. “As ever, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and if you see anything of concern, then to contact police.” The abandoned vehicle was taken to a nearby police station, with bomb disposal officers called in to complete further checks after “concerns over the vehicle”. As a precaution, a cordon was in place, which impacted local roads in the Glatton area, including part of the A1. However, after assessment by specialist officers, nothing of concern was found and all cordons have since been lifted. CTP said it is working closely with MOD police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary as the investigation continues. This is a breaking news story which will be updated.