Counter-terrorism police are investigating after two men were found inside the perimeter of the Cambridgeshire military base following a security alert.
Two Latvian nationals have been arrested on suspicion of national security offences after a perimeter fence was breached at RAF Molesworth.
The men, aged 36 and 32, both live in the UK, according to the Metropolitan Police. Officers detained them inside the base following searches prompted by the discovery of an abandoned vehicle.
A Ministry of Defence Police security patrol spotted the vehicle at around 10pm BST on Wednesday. Officers from the force and Cambridgeshire Constabulary subsequently searched the area, identifying a small breach in the perimeter fence several hours later.
The men were initially arrested on suspicion of trespassing on a prohibited site and criminal damage. They were taken to a police station in Cambridgeshire.
Both were subsequently arrested on suspicion of an offence under section 4 of the National Security Act 2023, concerning entry into a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
Counter-terrorism officers are leading the investigation, with searches also being carried out at two addresses in the Peterborough area.
Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said inquiries remained at a very early stage. Establishing why the men were at the military site would form a central part of the investigation.
She acknowledged heightened public concern about security at military installations but said investigators had found nothing at this stage to suggest a connection with the incident at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire the previous week.
“A big part of this is looking at any potential motivation as to why the men were present at the site, but I must stress we are keeping an open mind at this stage,” she said.
Flanagan also urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report anything concerning to police.
RAF Molesworth lies west of Huntingdon, near the Northamptonshire border, and hosts a Nato intelligence hub.
In 2024, the US Defence Intelligence Agency announced it had broken ground on a $556 million (£421 million) facility at the base, intended to serve as a centre for US military intelligence covering Europe and Africa.
