Two Young Brits Charged Over Suspicious Vans at RAF Fairford

Two 24‑year‑old British men have been charged with national‑security offences after a suspected security breach at RAF Fairford. Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim faces a charge of aiding a foreign intelligence service, which investigators say is linked to Iran. Nouman Essghir is accused of entering a restricted part of the airbase with intent that could harm the United Kingdom. Both will appear before Westminster Magistrates’ Court later this week. Police spotted three vans near the U.S.‑run base in Gloucestershire on 27 September. The vehicles contained petrol, prompting officers to seal off the site with a large cordon that stayed in place for several days. Eight people have been arrested in the wider probe; five of them were detained near the airbase in September. Those five were first held on suspicion of breaking the Explosives Act and were later re‑arrested for suspected preparation of a terrorist act. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, head of the counter‑terror unit, said Essghir, a Westminster resident, was charged under Section 4 of the National Security Act 2023 for actions on 22 August. He was initially taken into custody at the scene on 27 September and taken again into custody on 20 October. A 25‑year‑old UK‑Iranian man, who was first arrested earlier this month, was re‑arrested last week but released without charge; he remains on police bail.

Context

The National Security Act gives police powers to intervene when activities threaten the country’s safety. Charges of assisting a foreign intelligence service are used when someone is believed to help another nation gather information or influence UK affairs.