Image source, Steve Hubbard/BBC
A breach of a perimeter fence was identified at the base near Huntingdon
ByHelen Burchell
Cambridgeshire
Updated 52 minutes ago
Two Latvian men were arrested after a fence was breached at an RAF base used by the US military and Nato for intelligence operations, counter-terrorism police have said.
The alert was raised when a Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) security patrol at RAF Molesworth identified an abandoned vehicle at about 22:00 BST on Wednesday.
Searches revealed a small breach of the fence at the site in Cambridgeshire, and a few hours later, police said the pair were arrested inside the perimeter.
The two men are aged 36 and 32 and live in the UK, the Met Police said.
The force's Counter Terrorism Policing London is investigating and commander Helen Flanagan said officers were not currently linking it to the high-profile incident in Gloucestershire.
"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," said Flanagan.
However, she stressed the inquiry was in its "very early stages".
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They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage - after Cambridgeshire Police officers joined the search - and were taken to a local station.
The pair were later arrested on suspicion of an offence under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023, external – namely entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
RAF Molesworth is home to the US's intelligence operations centres for Europe and Africa, as well as a Nato intelligence hub.
It is not used as a flying station.
Image source, Geograph
RAF Molesworth is near Huntingdon and close to the border with Northamptonshire
Flanagan also said police were carrying out two searches at addresses in the Peterborough area.
"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," she said.
"As ever, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and if you see anything of concern, then to contact police."
The A1M was partially closed at about 13:00 BST earlier, along with several other roads in the Glatton area, because of the abandoned vehicle.
A cordon was put in place while it was examined by bomb squad officers but the roads were reopened shortly after as Cambridgeshire Police said "nothing of concern was identified".
RAF Molesworth is located west of Huntingdon, close to the border with Northamptonshire.
Image source, Steve Hubbard/BBC
The base is home to a Nato intelligence hub
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "We remain highly vigilant to potential threats against defence sites and work closely with the police and our allies to keep them secure.
"The protection of our bases is kept under constant review, with a multi-layered approach that includes physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring, and counter-drone capabilities."
A spokesperson for US European Command thanked UK agencies for their support, but added: "It is inappropriate to discuss matters of intelligence, and we will not discuss specific force protection measures.
"We will continue to assess the threat environment surrounding our installations and take appropriate actions to protect our people, our platforms, and the bases where our forces operate from."
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