U.K. arrest two Latvians inside perimeter of RAF base housing U.S., NATO intelligence operations
Two Latvian men were arrested for trespassing at RAF Molesworth, a U.K. base housing U.S. and NATO intelligence operations. This incident follows a series of security breaches at British military sites, raising concerns about potential hybrid attacks.
Why it matters
The breach highlights heightened security risks and geopolitical tensions involving foreign intelligence operations on British soil.
U.K. authorities arrested two Latvian men after they were discovered early Thursday inside the perimeter of an RAF base that houses U.S. and NATO intelligence operations, counterterrorism police said.
The base, RAF Molesworth, which is 112 km north of London, is operated by the U.S. Air Force and is home to the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre, which provides information to the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, as well as intelligence personnel from the U.S. Africa Command.
Officers from the Ministry of Defence Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary began investigating the incident at about 10 p.m. Wednesday after an abandoned vehicle was found near the edge of the base, Counter Terrorism Policing London said in a statement.
Police later found a small hole in the perimeter fence, and the suspects, both U.K. residents, were arrested at about 2 a.m. Thursday.
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