The five men arrested over a potential terror plot near RAF Fairford are being released on police bail, head of Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said.
The five men arrested over a potential terror plot near RAF Fairford are being released on police bail, the head of Counter Terrorism Policing has said.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told reporters outside New Scotland Yard: “I can confirm that following extensive interviews and inquiries the five men who were arrested are being released on police bail this afternoon.
“To be very clear, this does not mean that the investigation is over. They are subject to stringent conditions on their movement and contact with others. They absolutely remain under investigation as we explore multiple lines of inquiry.”
The suspects initially arrested over a potential terror plot near an RAF base used by the US are all British nationals aged in their 20s and from London, Counter Terrorism Policing previously said.
The five include a 24-year-old from Camden, north London; three men aged 23, 24 and 25 from Westminster, and one aged 24 from Willesden, north-west London.
The men were were arrested in Whelford, Gloucestershire in the early hours of Sunday, initially on suspicion of explosives offences and later terrorism. A villager in Whelford dialled 999 after she saw three vans and a group of masked men near the base, and dozens of homes had to be evacuated as bomb disposal teams were called in.
The news of the release comes as Andy Burnham will chair a Cobra meeting today on the incident as the Prime Minister looks to get the “full picture”.
Counter-terrorism police are understood to be investigating if any potential plot could be linked to Iran, which has used proxies to carry out crimes on British soil in the past. In a statement on social media, the Iranian Embassy said it rejected the idea that the incident had anything to do with Iran.
On Monday, Counter-Terrorism Policing (CTP) said that multiple new lines of inquiry have emerged after investigators were working at the scene overnight.
CTP Senior National Coordinator, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said: “This is a hugely complex and large-scale operation, involving local and national policing, the MoD, and local agencies, who are working together to progress the investigation and support for the community.
Police are considering “every possible angle” in their investigation into what happened at RAF Fairford including whether it was carried out by proxies or individuals working on behalf of a foreign state, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor said.
Mr Taylor said he knows there is “significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident”.
Mr Taylor continued: “At counter-terrorism policing, we are working within this context every single day, and at this stage, we are keeping an open mind in this investigation.
“We have, as you would expect, ensured that our protective security advice and posture remain commensurate to the threat.
“But be assured, we are considering this from every possible angle, including that this may be actively committed by proxies or individuals, either knowingly or unknowingly, working on behalf of a foreign state.
“To respond to incidents such as these, rapid mobilisation is necessary, as we cannot take the risk whilst assessing that threat.
“However, once we understand the threat more clearly, we seek to return affected communities to normality as quickly as possible.”