Five British nationals have been released on bail after being arrested on suspicion of terror offences at RAF Fairford, police have said.
They added that the alleged offences under investigation could have been “actively committed by proxies or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly working on behalf of a foreign state”. Police have been reported to be investigating whether Iran is behind the alleged offences.
The men were pictured on Sunday being apprehended, shirtless, near the RAF base in Gloucestershire, which is being used by the US air force in its operations against Iran. Police said three of them were 24, one was 25 and one 23, and three resided in Westminster, one in Camden and the other in Willesden.
The head of counter-terrorism policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said on Monday afternoon: “I can confirm that following extensive interviews, and inquiries, the five men who were arrested are being released on police bail this afternoon.
“To be very clear, this does not mean the investigation is over, they are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others. They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry. At counter-terrorism policing we are working within this context every day and we are keeping an open mind in this investigation.”
Taylor asked the public to remain vigilant and to report anything suspicious to police. He also noted the nature of threats to the UK often “becomes visible to us as criminal activity often at a small scale committed by individuals whose primary aim is not terrorism but a quick financial gain”.
The suspects were arrested in Whelford on Sunday morning after reports of three vehicles travelling towards the airbase at 12.45am. They were detained on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and preparation of a terrorist act contrary to section 5 of the Terrorism Act.
Counter-terrorism policing said investigators examined the scene overnight and had been carrying out a range of activity that had led to multiple new lines of inquiry.
Eighty-five households were evacuated from the village on Sunday and a large police and emergency services presence has been there since then.
Police said they were using “significant numbers of resources, including military assets” at the location. “We are working hard to minimise disruption to local communities, but ask for their patience, as our work continues at the scene,” they said.
A cordon remains in place at the location and police said they would be reviewing it later on Monday.
The deputy assistant commissioner Vicki Evans, counter-terrorism policing’s senior national coordinator, said: “This is a hugely complex and large-scale operation, involving local and national policing, the MoD [Ministry of Defence] and local agencies, who are working together to progress the investigation and support for the community.
“I know this has been incredibly disruptive for local people, but I’d like to reassure them that our activity is in the interest of national security, but most importantly in the interest of their own safety.
“I am very aware of the levels of speculation about the motivation behind this incident and the geopolitical questions that are being raised. However, I ask that at this time counter-terrorism policing are given the space to work carefully and clearly.”
Officers have been investigating whether Iran may be behind the suspected bomb plot. In July, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly noted RAF Fairford’s use by US bombers, warning the UK that “any base used for aggression against Iranian territory constitutes a legitimate target for our forces”.
In a statement on social media on Monday, the Iranian embassy in the UK said: “The embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in London categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations published by some British individuals and media outlets attempting to link Iran to arrest of five suspects in the vicinity of RAF Fairford base.
“The circulation of such fabricated speculations, particularly in the aftermath of the criminal acts of aggression committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against the Iranian people, will serve no purpose other than to fuel Iranophobia propaganda in the UK.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take appropriate legal measures, as necessary, to safeguard the rights and interests of the country and its people in response to misleading and damaging media narratives.”
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