A sixth man has been arrested in the counter-terrorism investigation surrounding suspicious activity near RAF Fairford, as fresh attention focuses on claims that the resident who raised the alarm initially struggled to get through to police.
Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed on Thursday afternoon that a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national had been arrested in Westminster, London, on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under Section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
A second man, aged 26 and a UK national, has also been questioned under caution, while officers have searched two properties in Westminster.
The development follows the arrests of five men in their 20s near RAF Fairford during the early hours of Sunday, September 27. Those five men have since been released on police bail and remain under investigation.
Resident’s call triggered major police response
The extraordinary operation began when Gloucestershire Police received information about suspicious vehicles close to the strategically important airbase.
Police officially recorded receiving a call at around 12.45am on Sunday concerning three suspicious vehicles which appeared to be travelling towards RAF Fairford.
Armed officers responded and arrested five men in the Whelford area on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act. They were subsequently further arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act.
But an account subsequently given by a local woman raises questions about the communications immediately before the police response.
The resident has said she encountered a large group of hooded and masked men around Whelford and initially attempted to contact Ministry of Defence Police at RAF Fairford.
She claims nobody answered.
She then says she attempted to contact police on 101 without success before eventually making a 999 call.
Her account of those unanswered calls has not been confirmed in the published statements from Gloucestershire Police or Counter Terrorism Policing.
Woman says she saw up to ten men
Another potentially significant detail is the number of people the witness says she encountered.
The woman estimated there were around eight to ten hooded and masked men in the area and said some ran towards fields while others headed towards Kempsford.
Police arrested five men.
There has been no official confirmation that the other people described by the witness were connected with the three vehicles or with the activity now under investigation.
Counter Terrorism Policing has also not publicly stated that additional suspects escaped from the scene.
The distinction is important: the witness’s account raises an investigative question, but it does not establish that eight to ten people were involved in an alleged terrorist offence.
85 households evacuated
What followed the initial report was a huge emergency response.
A 400-metre cordon was established around the three vehicles while military explosive ordnance disposal specialists examined them.
Around 85 households were evacuated as a precaution, with a nearby leisure centre opened for residents who could not stay with relatives or friends.
Armed officers, specialist counter-terrorism investigators, military personnel and other emergency services were deployed during the operation.
Residents were subsequently allowed back into their homes while examination of the vehicles continued. No bombs found – but petrol recovered
A significant development came on Tuesday when Counter Terrorism Policing confirmed that extensive examinations of the three vehicles had found no improvised explosive devices.
Investigators did, however, recover a quantity of petrol.
Searches of properties in London connected with the investigation were also completed.
Police said investigative scenes around RAF Fairford were being progressively reduced as forensic work continued.
The discovery means early suggestions that explosive devices had been found should not be repeated as fact.
Police have not publicly established what the petrol was intended for, and no charges have been brought against the original five suspects.
Police investigating possible foreign-state involvement
Counter Terrorism Policing has repeatedly stressed that investigators are keeping an open mind about the motive and circumstances.
Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor previously confirmed investigators were considering whether the activity could have involved proxies or people knowingly or unknowingly acting on behalf of a foreign state.
Thursday’s arrest of a dual UK-Iranian national does not itself establish Iranian state involvement.
Senior National Coordinator Vicki Evans 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.”
Five original suspects remain on bail
The five men detained on Sunday were released on police bail following extensive interviews and enquiries.
Counter Terrorism Policing said they are subject to strict conditions concerning their movements and contact with other people.
Police stressed their release did not mean the investigation had ended and that all five remain under investigation. The sixth suspect arrested on Thursday remains part of what police describe as a complex investigation involving multiple lines of enquiry.
Questions remain over the initial response
The witness’s account also leaves a separate issue requiring clarification: why, if her account is accurate, she was unable to reach the MOD Police number she had been given or get through on 101 before the emergency response was activated.
Official police statements confirm the importance of information from members of the public in triggering the response.
Counter Terrorism Policing said the police operation was activated following a “range of information”, including a call from a member of the public concerning several vehicles acting suspiciously near RAF Fairford.
However, the published police updates do not confirm the woman’s account of her earlier unsuccessful calls.
They also do not establish that people described by the witness as running from the area were connected with the five original suspects.
Those remain important unanswered questions as investigators attempt to establish exactly what happened around Whelford during the early hours of September 27.
No one has been charged in connection with the incident. The five men arrested on Sunday remain on police bail and under investigation, while the 27-year-old arrested on Thursday is suspected of preparing terrorist acts. All allegations remain subject to an ongoing police investigation.
