Two Latvians arrested at RAF base in Cambridgeshire released on bail

Two Latvian men have been released on bail after being arrested at an RAF base in Cambridgeshire used by the US military and Nato.

The two men, aged 32 and 26, were arrested at 2am on Thursday after they were discovered inside RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, which is used by the US military and Nato for intelligence operations.

An investigation had begun four hours earlier, when military police found an abandoned vehicle near the facility at around 10pm on Wednesday.

Military police, joined by officers from Cambridgeshire police, discovered a small hole in the perimeter fence, before finding and arresting the two men inside the base.

The suspects, both Latvian nationals currently resident in the UK, were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and causing criminal damage. They were then 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.

They have since been released on bail, with strict conditions, as the police continue their investigation.

Commander Helen Flanagan, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said they were “very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites”, but that there was nothing from their investigation so far to suggest a connection to an incident near RAF Fairford in September.

“Our investigation continues and we are working closely with colleagues from the Ministry of Defence police and Cambridgeshire constabulary on this. A key line of inquiry remains to identify any potential motivation behind why the men were at that location, and this includes whether it may be connected to any criminal activity,” she added.

Officers have since carried out two searches at addresses in the Peterborough area in connection with the investigation. The abandoned vehicle was also taken to a nearby police location.

Located west of Huntingdon, RAF Molesworth is home to Nato’s Intelligence Fusion Centre and the US Joint Intelligence Operations Center, Europe.