Suspect in alleged UK airbase plot called police before arrests, police say

Police said a man who was later arrested in connection with an alleged terror plot near RAF Fairford placed an emergency call about an hour before a local farmer reported seeing masked men and three white vans. The call, made to the UK 999 number, was received while officers were already on the scene, according to reports from The Times and the BBC.

The five suspects, identified as British nationals aged 23 to 25 from the London area, were detained early Sunday on suspicion of explosive offences and later charged with terrorism offences. They were released on bail on Monday, a decision described by senior counter-terrorism officer Laurence Taylor as an “investigative decision.”

Taylor told reporters that no improvised explosive devices were found in the three vans, although a quantity of petrol was recovered. He added that a police response was triggered by “a range of information received, including a call from a member of the public about several vehicles acting suspiciously close to RAF Fairford.”

US officials have commented on the case, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the suspected plot “clearly involved the hands of a foreign actor,” and President Donald Trump suggesting the suspects might be linked to Iran. Iran has denied any involvement, and UK authorities have not confirmed a foreign connection.

Police plan to conclude their investigative operations at Fairford by Wednesday.