UK: Two Latvian men arrested for breaking into RAF base
The men were arrested for breaching a perimeter fence at a UK air base that houses US and NATO intelligence operations. The incident comes after an alleged terror plot at another air base in England was foiled recently.
Two Latvian men, aged 36 and 32, have been apprehended at the RAF Molesworth base in southeastern England. The arrest took place on Thursday following an alleged breach of the perimeter fence, a move described as trespassing, causing criminal damage, and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. The base, primarily managed by the US Air Force, serves as a non-flying facility housing intelligence personnel from US Africa Command and the NATO Intelligence Fusion Center.
This incident transpired after a similar arrest at another UK air base due to an alleged terror plot the previous month. Police began their investigation around 10 p.m. local time on Wednesday after discovering an abandoned vehicle near the base's edge. Later, at around 2 a.m. on Thursday, they found a small hole in the perimeter fence and apprehended the suspects.
Both remain in police custody, with the matter being handled by counterterrorism police due to its sensitive nature. The US European Command confirmed the incident but did not disclose specific force protection measures, emphasizing that the event at RAF Molesworth is not related to the recent incident at RAF Fairford.
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