Two Latvian men arrested on suspicion of trespass offences at RAF base

Two men have been arrested after an incident at an RAF base in Cambridgeshire.

The men, aged 36 and 32, were arrested after appearing to break into at RAF Molesworth on Wednesday 7 October.

At around 10pm on 7 October, security patrols by Ministry of Defence Police at the site identified an abandoned vehicle.

Officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary also attended and carried out further searches around the site, Metropolitan Police said.

A small breach of the perimeter fence was found and both men were arrested at the scene.

Both men are Latvian nationals who currently reside in the UK, police added.

They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage, the force said.

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.

Both men currently remain in police custody.

The matter is now being investigated by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP).

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.”

More to follow...

Subscribe here to get the latest updates from The Independent