Overview
- Ministry of Defence Police found an abandoned vehicle near RAF Molesworth late on Wednesday and, after joint searches with Cambridgeshire officers discovered a small breach in the perimeter fence, two men were arrested inside the base around 2am on Thursday.
- Both suspects are Latvian nationals living in the UK, aged 36 and 32, and were initially held for trespass and criminal damage before being further arrested on suspicion of an offence under section 4 of the National Security Act 2023.
- Specialist explosive ordnance disposal teams were deployed to examine the recovered vehicle and a precautionary cordon affected nearby roads in the Glatton area including part of the A1, but no hazardous items were found and cordons have been lifted.
- Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation, which remains at an early stage with searches at addresses in the Peterborough area ongoing and police saying they are keeping an open mind about motive.
- RAF Molesworth hosts a military intelligence analysis centre and US Air Force units, which makes any breach sensitive and could prompt wider security reviews at UK bases while the inquiry determines whether this incident is connected to recent separate arrests near RAF Fairford.