Two men face national security charges after RAF Fairford investigation
Constantvpn.com – Two British men have been charged with national security offences following an investigation into suspicious activity near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, a base used by the United States Air Force as a forward operating location.
Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, 24, is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service in connection with the incident. Investigators suspect that the service involved was linked to Iran. Nouman Essghir, also 24, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose considered harmful to the interests of the UK.
Both defendants are due before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday. The charges follow a counter-terrorism investigation that has involved arrests, searches and police activity around the airbase since late September.
Vans and petrol found near the base
Police were alerted after three vans were seen close to RAF Fairford on 27 September. Officers searched the vehicles and did not find explosive material, but they did seize a quantity of petrol.
The discovery prompted a substantial police operation. A large security cordon remained in place around the site for several days while enquiries continued. RAF Fairford has long held strategic importance because it can support US Air Force operations beyond the United Kingdom.
Essghir, a British national from Westminster, was arrested near the base on 27 September. He was arrested again on 20 October before being charged under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023.
That provision concerns unauthorised entry into prohibited locations where the alleged purpose could prejudice the UK’s safety or interests. Such cases can involve locations considered particularly sensitive because of defence, security or intelligence concerns.
Wider counter-terrorism inquiry
The October arrests also led detectives to interview Abdulkarim. In total, eight men have been arrested during the investigation.
Five British nationals from London were detained near RAF Fairford in September on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. They were later arrested on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts. Six men remain on police bail as enquiries continue.
A 25-year-old UK-Iranian man was also rearrested on 20 October on suspicion of helping a foreign intelligence service. He has since been released without charge in relation to that allegation. He remains on police bail following his initial arrest on 1 October, when he was suspected of preparing terrorist acts.
Police bail does not amount to a finding of guilt. It allows investigators to continue examining evidence while setting conditions that may restrict a person’s movements or activities.
“A range of incidents in recent months that we believe have been directed by the Iranian state.”
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, who leads counter-terror policing, made the statement while discussing the charges. Iran has previously denied involvement in the events surrounding RAF Fairford.
A strategically significant location
RAF Fairford has been used by the US Air Force for decades and is equipped to host long-range aircraft. Its role has drawn increased attention amid recent tensions involving Iran and military operations in the Middle East.
In recent months, B-1 and B-52 bombers flew from the Gloucestershire base to the Middle East after the UK approved a request for RAF Fairford to be used in support of defensive strikes against Iran. The presence of those aircraft underscored the site’s operational significance and the heightened security concerns surrounding it.
Following the September incident, the United States withdrew its bombers from RAF Fairford and returned them to America. President Donald Trump said the aircraft had been moved because of “some threats” to the base, without providing further details about the nature of those threats.
The allegations now before the court sit within a broader focus on the protection of military facilities and other restricted sites. Security around such locations is intended to protect personnel, equipment and operations, while also preventing activity that could endanger the public or compromise sensitive information.
The case is at an early stage, and the charges will be tested through the legal process. Abdulkarim and Essghir are entitled to a fair hearing, and the court proceedings will determine how the allegations are dealt with.
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