British man, 22, arrested in RAF Fairford terror investigation
Counter Terrorism Policing said it was working “around the clock, and at pace” to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire.
A 22-year-old British man has been arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, in the investigation into activity near RAF Fairford, Counter Terrorism Policing has said.
Officers made the arrest on 6 October on suspicion of an offence under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, and a property in the same area was also searched.
Six men in their 20s remain on police bail: five arrested on 27 September and one on 1 October. Counting the earlier arrests, seven people have now been arrested in the investigation.
Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing Vicki Evans said: “This remains a live investigation and our specialist teams continue to pursue multiple lines of enquiry into the circumstances surrounding events near RAF Fairford.”
Evans added: “We’re acutely aware of the public interest in this investigation, and we are working around the clock, and at pace, to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire. We remain committed to investigating all possible angles.”
The statement did not say whether the 22-year-old remains in custody or what part, if any, the man is suspected of having played, and it made no mention of Iran.
Counter Terrorism Policing is appealing to anyone with information that may assist the investigation to report it via gov.uk/ACT or the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
What happened before
The investigation began in the early hours of 27 September, when officers were called to a report of three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Army explosive ordnance disposal specialists examined the vehicles inside a 400-metre cordon, and about 85 households were moved out of their homes as a precaution. Searches of the vehicles found no explosives, but officers recovered fuel and large plastic drums, police have said.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said in a BBC interview on 30 September that there were “strong indications that Iran played a part in what happened over the weekend at RAF Fairford”. The Iranian embassy in London has denied any involvement, saying it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns” what it called “unfounded and malicious speculations” linking Iran to the incident.
On 1 October, Counter Terrorism Policing announced the arrest in Westminster of a 25-year-old man, a dual UK-Iranian national, on suspicion of the same offence.