Crown Prosecution Service charges two London men over RAF Fairford incident

The Crown Prosecution Service formally charged two men on Tuesday with serious security offenses connected to the incident at RAF Fairford. Mohmed Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24, are British nationals residing in London. The charges follow arrests made last week and mark the first formal legal steps in the probe of the security breach at the base in western England.

Abdulkarim faces two counts under the 2023 National Security Act. Prosecutors say he assisted a foreign intelligence service in September and engaged in conduct likely to materially aid that service in U.K. related activities. Essghir was charged with a single national security offense. The CPS alleges he approached a prohibited place for a purpose he knew or ought reasonably to have known was prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.

The legal action follows a series of detentions that began on September 27. Five men were initially held near the base that day. Police found three vans filled with gasoline parked close to a base entrance. Armed officers and bomb disposal experts searched the area and evacuated residents from nearby homes. Investigators did not find any explosives in the vehicles.

All five men detained on September 27 were released on bail. Police stated they remain under investigation and are being monitored. A sixth man, a 25 year old dual national of Britain and Iran, was arrested on October 1. He has also been released on bail pending further inquiry.

RAF Fairford has hosted U.S. long range bombers for years. During the recent conflict with Iran, the base served as a launch point for strikes on the Islamic Republic. Prime Minister Andy Burnham noted the base was used for these operations. Iranian officials have previously stated that bases used to attack Iran are legitimate targets, though the Iranian Embassy in London rejected links between its government and the specific incident.

Police confirmed on Tuesday that six men remain free on bail in relation to the case. Four of these were the original suspects from September 27. The other two were detained later, including the dual national arrested in early October. All six are U.K. nationals living in London in their 20s. The investigation into the suspected terror plot continues.