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

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of trespass offences at an RAF base in Cambridgeshire.

At approximately 22:00hrs on Wednesday, 7 October, security patrols by Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) at RAF Molesworth being carried out near the perimeter of RAF Molesworth identified an abandoned vehicle. Officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary also attended and working with colleagues from MDP carried out further searches around the site.

A small breach of the perimeter fence was subsequently identified and at approximately 02:00hrs on 8 October, two men were located and arrested.

Two men, aged 36 and 32, were arrested inside the base perimeter. Both men are Latvian nationals, currently resident in the UK.

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. Both men currently remain in police custody at this time.

Due to the nature of the incident, the matter is being investigated by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing.

Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of Counter Terrorism Policing 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.”

Anyone who sees anything that doesn’t look or feel right can contact police, in confidence, by calling 0800 789321 or report it online via www.gov.uk/ACT

Officers are carrying out two searches at addresses in the Peterborough area in connection with the investigation.

The abandoned vehicle was also recovered by police. The vehicle was taken to a nearby police location and while undergoing further searches, concerns over the vehicle led to the deployment of specialist ‘EOD’ officers to carry out additional checks. As a precaution, a cordon was in place, which impacted on 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 are working closely with colleagues from the MDP and Cambridgeshire Constabulary as the investigation continues.