British-Iranian arrested over RAF Fairford assault plot is ‘alleged mastermind’
An British-Iranian arrested over a foiled RAF Fairford bomb plot was the alleged mastermind who hired a proxy gang to carry out a dramatic attack, it is claimed
A British-Iranian man arrested over a foiled RAF terror plot is alleged to be the ‘mastermind’(Image: Ben Birchall/PA Wire)
A British-Iranian man arrested over a suspected bomb attack at an RAF base was the alleged mastermind behind the foiled plot, it is claimed. Counter-terror officers hauled the 25-year-old dual national into custody in a dramatic swoop in central London on Thursday.
The suspect has been accused of recruiting a gang of five proxies and promising to pay them to carry out an attack on the Gloucestershire military facility in the early hours of Sunday, according to The Sun.
He remains held on suspicion of the preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006. Officers searched two properties in the borough of Westminster following the initial arrests of five men found near the airfield with vans containing barrels of petrol.
Officers launched searches at two properties in the borough of Westminster(Image: Getty Images)
Vicki Evans, the UK’s Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “The investigation into circumstances surrounding events in Gloucestershire is hugely complex, and our specialist teams are interrogating multiple lines of enquiry.
“As we’ve made clear, we’re looking at all possible angles – including possible foreign state involvement. I’d like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this investigation.”
The so-called Fairford Five were first pinpointed when an eagle-eyed female farmer spotted three vans close to the airfield, which is used by US bombers to launch strikes against Iranian missile positions.
The so-called Fairford Five were first pinpointed when an eagle-eyed female farmer spotted three vans close to the airfield(Image: BBC NEWS)
Dressed in black and wearing balaclavas, they were pounced on by armed cops near three vans containing large plastic barrels of fuel, initially feared to hold explosive chemicals.
Confusion erupted when the five London men, all in their 20s, were bailed on Monday, prompting US President Donald Trump to question the decision. It later emerged one suspect had called police prior to the arrests.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed his country provided intelligence on the “Iranian-sponsored attack” shortly before Britain announced a trade ban on illegal West Bank settlements.
Claims the men were merely fuel thieves we previously rubbished, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham maintained there was a “strong indication” the plot was Iran-inspired.
Officers reportedly kept the group under surveillance while examining their electronic devices, leading directly to today’s arrest of their alleged recruiter.
Investigators are now claimed to believe the plot was an intimidatory “stunt” designed to cause chaos at the base, which US bombers use to strike Iranian missile sites attacking shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran explicitly branded RAF Fairford a “legitimate target” in July.
If confirmed as a stunt, it mirrors an April incident where an Iran-backed group filmed two men in hazmat suits flying a drone near the Israeli embassy in Kensington Gardens.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of UK Counter-Terrorism Policing, noted the plot “may be activity committed by proxies, or individuals either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state,” highlighting criminal activity driven by “quick financial gain.”
