Two Latvian Men Arrested Under National Security Act at British Air Base
The arrests at a base housing key Western intelligence units follow warnings of foreign state proxy activity across the United Kingdom.
Police arrested two Latvian men inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth early Thursday under the National Security Act. Officers detained the suspects at around 2:00 a.m. BST on Oct. 8, 2026.
Ministry of Defence Police first spotted an abandoned vehicle near the base boundary at about 10:00 p.m. BST on Wednesday. Officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary and defence police then searched the area. They found a small breach in the perimeter fence before locating the two men inside.
The suspects, aged 32 and 36, live in the United Kingdom. Police initially arrested them on suspicion of criminal damage and trespassing on a prohibited site. Officers later arrested them under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 for entering a prohibited place for a prejudicial purpose.
Explosives specialists checked the abandoned vehicle, declared it safe, and removed it. Authorities then stood down temporary road closures and a cordon along the A1 and the Glatton area. RAF Molesworth is a non-flying station operated by the U.S. Air Force, located about 70 miles north of London.
The station hosts NATO’s Intelligence Fusion Centre, which supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe. It also houses intelligence units for U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command.
Commander Helen Flanagan, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, is leading the multi-agency inquiry. She said detectives are keeping an open mind about the motive. She noted that no evidence currently links the breach to an earlier incident at RAF Fairford.
The Ministry of Defence said base security remains under constant review with layered defenses including barriers, patrols, and counter-drone tools. Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, said he retained complete confidence in British base security.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said British security agencies face a higher tempo of threat operations directed by foreign states. British security services have repeatedly warned in 2026 about foreign proxy activity and hybrid intelligence gathering.
The incident followed a security alert at RAF Fairford on Sept. 27, 2026, where police arrested seven people near three suspicious vehicles. The U.S. Air Force subsequently withdrew B-1 bombers from Fairford as a precaution following warnings of a hostile drone threat linked to Iran.
Both suspects remain in police custody in Cambridgeshire while Counter Terrorism Policing London leads the inquiry. Specialist counter-terror officers are executing search warrants at two homes in Peterborough to determine whether foreign states or espionage objectives were involved.
