UK police arrested two Latvian men on espionage charges after they allegedly broke into the RAF Molesworth airbase, used as a U.S. and NATO intelligence center near London, during the late hours of Oct. 7, authorities announced.
Counter Terrorism authorities are looking into why the men were at the airbase, lead investigator Commander Helen Flanagan said.
“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 and enquiries are very much ongoing,” Flanagan said in a statement.
Metropolitan police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary officers were checking the perimeter of the airbase Wednesday night when they came across an abandoned vehicle, leading them to investigate the perimeter fence.
Officers found a section of fence that had been breached and located two men inside the airbase. The suspects were arrested at 2 a.m. Thursday, according to investigators.
The men—ages 32 and 36—were Latvian nationals living in the UK, authorities confirmed.
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The men were arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage, and taken to a Cambridge police station.
They were later also charged and arrested on suspicion of espionage, police reported.
The men remain in custody, according to investigators with the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing unit, which is investigating the incident.
“As ever, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and if you see anything of concern, then to contact police,” Flanagan said.
Officers were continuing to carry out searches at addresses in the Peterborough area in connection with the investigation, according to police.
The abandoned vehicle found at the airbase was also recovered by authorities and taken to a nearby police station. Technicians are searching the vehicle.
A car passing potholes in a road near Peterborough in Cambridgeshire, England, on April 4, 2018. Joe Giddens/PA Wire
The area around the car was initially blocked off by police but after a review by detectives, the car was cleared, authorities said.
UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting thanked police and security teams for their work in a statement Thursday.
“We are highly vigilant about potential threats to our military sites and work closely with the police to keep them secure,” Streeting said in a post on X. “The protection of our bases is multi-layered, including physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring, and counter-drone capabilities.”
Authorities arrested a seventh suspect Tuesday in connection to a security incident at RAF Fairford airbase that occurred Sept. 27.
The 22-year-old man, a British national from London, was detained on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.
The RAF Fairford incident is suspected by the British government to be tied to an Iranian terrorist plot, and police said Monday they were investigating whether suspects involved were acting for a foreign state.
Armed police officers attend a suspected terrorist incident at RAF Fairford airbase in Fairford, England, on Sept. 27, 2026. Toby Shepheard/Reuters
RAF Molesworth is a military installation in Cambridgeshire used for joint U.S. and NATO operations, and houses the Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe Analytic Center, which provides military intelligence and analysis for the U.S. European Command. The base also provides support for the U.S. Air Force.
Pentagon officials didn’t immediately return a request for comment about whether they planned to make additional changes after the RAF Molesworth arrests.
The Latvian Embassy in London also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
