One of the five men arrested over a suspected terror plot near an RAF base used by the US called the police before they were arrested. It is understood that the suspect called police around an hour before a farmer said she called 999 at 1.36am on Sunday after discovering three vans blocking a road near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire.
The five British nationals, all in their mid-20s, were subsequently arrested on suspicion of explosives offences and terrorism. The development, first reported by The Times, again led US President Donald Trump to comment on the security operation, saying he was “disappointed” about the release of the men on bail.
Petrol found in vans
It has also emerged that petrol, but no explosives, were found in the vans which sparked the security alert in the village of Whelford. Head of UK counter-terrorism policing assistant commissioner Laurence Taylor said on Tuesday that a police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday “due to a range of information that we received”.
Mr Taylor said the vehicles have been examined, adding: “We can confirm that no improvised explosive devices have been found. We have found a quantity of an accelerant, petrol, and we have recovered that as part of our investigation.”
Iran line of inquiry
The base has been used in recent months by US bombers to launch air strikes against Iran, which has been at the centre of speculation about whether it was involved in the drama, including by tasking proxies to carry out crimes on their behalf on UK soil. Potential involvement by Iran was understood to be one line of inquiry for British investigators, and the nation has used proxies in the past to carry out acts in the UK, but its London embassy fiercely denied any involvement in the events in Gloucestershire.
On Tuesday evening, Mr Trump said: “We were involved in (the investigation), but as you know, your fellow countrymen let them go. Well, they didn’t let them go. They put them out on bail. I assume they haven’t watched closely… they should not have done that.”
Bail conditions and investigation
Earlier on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the suspected plot “clearly involves the hand of a foreign actor”, but refused to provide further details, and Mr Trump has also said the alleged plot “might be” linked to Iran. Mr Taylor said the five suspects released on bail “remain under investigation” and “must adhere to very strict conditions”.
He added: “It’s really important that you understand that the safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision-making and this was certainly the case yesterday. Now, I understand why this development was surprising to some, but I would like to reiterate that this is an investigative decision and one which is grounded in experience and strategy.”
Villagers living near RAF Fairford, dozens of whom were dramatically evacuated from their homes on Sunday morning, were slowly returning to normal on Tuesday. Police cordons near the base are expected to be completely lifted on Wednesday, and searches of the London homes of the five suspects are complete. Mr Taylor said the incident has been worrying for lots of people, adding this is “heightened by the international commentary that we are seeing”.
The five suspects, all UK nationals, are a 24-year-old from Camden, north London; and a 23-year-old, two 24-year-olds and a 25-year-old from Westminster, central London. Police would not confirm when they are due to answer bail.
