Two men charged with assisting foreign intelligence in alleged RAF Fairford plot
Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir appeared in Westminster Magistrates' Court charged under the National Security Act for roles in a suspected plot at RAF Fairford that prosecutors say was directed by an individual linked to Iran.
Two 24-year-old men, Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, were brought before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday on charges under the National Security Act. Prosecutors allege the pair acted on instructions from a handler known only as “Ali”, who is believed to be operating on behalf of the Iranian state.
According to the court, on 27 September “Ali” ordered a group to drive vans loaded with petrol to RAF Fairford and then park them before leaving the scene. Police responded to a call about a bomb, located three white vans and five men, and arrested them. No explosives were found, but metal oil drums containing petrol and other equipment were seized.
"Abdulkarim is alleged to have aided the organiser, Ali, by purchasing equipment for the mission and receiving payments totalling around £70,000," prosecutors said.
Essghir is accused of filming the perimeter of the airbase on 22 August at Ali’s request. He was first arrested near the base on 27 September and re-arrested on 20 October.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, confirmed the charges and noted that a second man, a dual UK/Iranian national, was released without charge but remains on bail.
Police stopped three vans near the Gloucestershire airbase on 27 September, seizing petrol but no explosive material. After questioning, the five men originally detained were released under strict bail conditions, and two additional arrests have been made since.
In a separate statement, President Donald Trump said the United States was moving its bomber warplanes out of RAF Fairford because of “some threats”, adding that the relocation was a deliberate decision.
Chief Crown Prosecutor Frank Ferguson said the Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work with partners as the investigation proceeds.