A seventh man has been arrested in London on suspicion of terrorism offences related to the suspected RAF Fairford terrorism plot, police have said.
The 22-year-old British national was arrested in Westminster, central London, on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, counter-terrorism policing said.
Five men in their 20s were arrested in the village of Whelford, Gloucestershire, outside the RAF base in the early hours of 27 September after police were alerted to suspicious vans in the area. They were later released on bail.
On Thursday, a 25-year-old dual UK-Iranian national was arrested in Westminster on suspicion of terrorism offences. He was released on bail on Saturday.
Speaking on Tuesday, the senior national coordinator for counter-terrorism policing, Vicki Evans, said: “This remains a live investigation and our specialist teams continue to pursue multiple lines of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding events near RAF Fairford.
“Once again, I’d like to thank the public for their continued support and patience whilst we work through this highly complex investigation.
“We’re acutely aware of the public interest in this investigation, and we are working around the clock, and at pace, to identify the motivation behind events in Gloucestershire. We remain committed to investigating all possible angles.”
Tensions have been high at RAF Fairford since Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said in July that the base was a legitimate target. Iran’s embassy in London has denied any involvement in the events of the past few days.
Ministers have been briefed that Iran has various reasons for hiring proxies, who sometimes are unwitting, to carry out acts that aim to eat up resources and create chaos.
The Iranian embassy in London has said it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculations” of Iranian involvement.
Senior US politicians, including the president, Donald Trump, have expressed surprise that the suspects were released on bail.
Counter-terrorism policing last week defended the move. “I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers,” Britain’s head of counter-terrorism police said.
