Two Latvian nationals were arrested early Thursday inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth, a Royal Air Force base in Cambridgeshire housing U.S. and NATO intelligence operations, counterterrorism police said.
The men, aged 32 and 36, were detained at about 2 a.m. after security patrols discovered an abandoned vehicle near the base at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by a small breach in the perimeter fence. They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass and criminal damage, then further arrested under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 for entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
Both suspects are Latvian citizens residing in the UK and remain in police custody. The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London, which stated there is no current evidence linking the incident to a separate security breach at RAF Fairford last month. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of the counterterrorism unit, said the inquiry is in its early stages, with officers examining potential motivations while keeping an open mind .
RAF Molesworth hosts the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre and the U.S. Joint Intelligence Operations Center for Europe and Africa, according to official descriptions . Police searches of two addresses in the Peterborough area are underway in connection with the case.
