RAF Fairford ‘bomb plot’ was foiled when ‘one of the suspects rang the police on himself’
The alleged bomb plot at an RAF base was foiled when one of the suspects rang police himself, it has emerged.
One of the five men arrested close to RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, in the early hours of Sunday had called 999.
Armed police rushed to the scene and rounded up the suspects, stripping them of their tops over fears they may have been wearing suicide vests.
A farmer who came across three suspicious vans blocking the country road said she saw ‘eight to 10 masked men’ running around in the woods and across fields. It is now understood those figures in the dark were armed police.
Why a suspect would call 999 is now under investigation, with questions ranging from whether he was trying to back out of something or whether it may have been part of any plan.
One line of inquiry is understood to be whether the allegedly Iran-linked drama was not actually a foiled attack but a stunt, or calling card, to send a message to the British and US authorities.
Villagers were dramatically evacuated from their homes on Sunday morning, as elite SAS troops descended on the base and a major incident was declared.
However, questions were raised when the men, aged between 23 and 25, were bailed within 36 hours of the incident.
On Tuesday, counter terrorism police revealed that no explosive devices were found in vans left by the suspects, but a ‘quantity of petrol’ was recovered.
Counter terrorism police are continuing to investigate after petrol was recovered from vans found near RAF Fairford
Five men were pictured as police arrested them on terror charges near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. They are all British, from London, and in their 20s, police said – and have all since been released on bail
Head of UK counter-terrorism Policing Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said the decision to bail the suspects was an ‘investigative decision’ and stressed that public safety was at the ‘forefront’ of decision-making.
Speaking outside Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Taylor said: ‘I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers.’
He added: ‘A police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday morning due to a range of information that we received.
‘This included a call from a member of public about several vehicles acting suspiciously close to RAF Fairford.
‘Those vehicles have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found. However, a quantity of petrol was recovered.’
Detectives will be forced to consider whether the actions of the men meet the threshold of the National Security Act, The Times reported.
They could face 14 years in prison for plotting an attack on Iran’s behalf, even if they claim ignorance over acting on the Middle Eastern country’s behalf.
The Gloucestershire base has been used by the US military to carry out strikes against Iran.
The five suspects include a 24-year-old from Camden, north London; and a 23-year-old, two 24-year-olds, and a 25-year-old, all from Westminster, central London.
Police would not confirm when they are due to answer bail.
On Monday, residents from around 85 evacuated households were allowed to return home.
One local businesswoman complained the arrested men had been bailed and potentially allowed back to their homes before local residents in Whelford had.
Police cordons near the base are expected to be completely lifted on Wednesday, and searches of the London homes of the five suspects have been completed.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted the plot ‘involved the hand of a foreign actor’.
In a television interview, Mr Rubio mentioned Iran by name, noting that the regime had previously threatened to target US interests. However, he stopped short of directly blaming Tehran for the incident.
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.
However, Tehran ‘categorically’ denied any involvement in the alleged plot in Gloucestershire.
In a statement, its London embassy dismissed reports linking Tehran to the arrests as ‘unfounded and malicious speculations’.
The embassy added: ‘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.’
Police officers guard an area as roadblocks remain in place near RAF Fairford airbase, after police declared a major incident at the base
Mr Rubio described the events near RAF Fairford as a ‘very serious situation’ and thanked British authorities for their response, saying they had been ‘very cooperative and very helpful’.
He added that ‘a lot of people are disturbed’ by the decision to grant bail to the five suspects.
Assistant Commissioner Taylor said the worries felt by people over a suspected terror plot near RAF Fairford have been ‘heightened by the international commentary’.
