A 999 call gave it all away: how five Britons were caught near the RAF base

Five British nationals from London, aged 23 to 25, are the people arrested near the RAF Fairford air base in Gloucestershire, as part of an investigation into the possible preparation of a terrorist attack.

Britain’s Counter Terrorism Command confirmed on Monday that all five are British and remain in custody, while investigations continue into the findings in three suspicious vehicles stopped near the base. Three of those arrested are from Westminster, one from Camden and one from Willesden, London.

The men were initially arrested under explosives laws and were then re-arrested on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism. Under British counter-terrorism laws, they can be held in custody for up to 14 days without charge.

The operation began in the early hours of Sunday morning, when local residents alerted police to three suspicious vehicles heading toward RAF Fairford.

The first call came at around 00:45, and armed officers were sent to the Whelford area, a short distance from the base, where they found and arrested the five men.

After the arrests, a wide-scale operation began, with British Army bomb disposal teams examining the three white vans, including the use of a remote-controlled robot. Around 85 homes in the area were evacuated as a precaution and an exclusion zone of several hundred meters was set up.

According to The Guardian, investigators are examining materials found in the vehicles, while initial assessments suggest they may be linked to improvised explosive devices. The assessment of the findings is still ongoing.

One of the key questions of the investigation is the motive of the five men and whether they were acting on behalf of a foreign power or another organization.

British media report that a possible link with Iran is also being examined, among other things. However, the authorities have so far not officially attributed the case to Tehran and have not said that the arrested men were acting on behalf of the Iranian state.

The RAF Fairford air base has particular strategic importance, as it is used by the United States Air Force and has served as a base for American bombers in operations linked to the war with Iran.

The Iranian embassy in London categorically rejected any involvement, describing the reports as “baseless and malicious speculation” and claiming they contribute to cultivating “Iranophobia” in Britain.

The head of Britain’s Counter-Terrorism Department, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicky Evans, described the operation as “extremely complex and wide-ranging,” involving local and national police, the Ministry of Defence and other agencies.

According to police, overnight searches have created many new leads for investigation, while the cordon around RAF Fairford remained in force on Monday.

Evans also urged that speculation about the motive of those arrested and the geopolitical dimensions of the case be avoided while the investigation continues.

A local resident appears to have played an important role in mobilizing the authorities. She was returning home in the early hours of the morning when she noticed the three vans blocking the road near the base.

The woman called 999 and, according to her account, saw men moving away from the vehicles in different directions. She expressed surprise that it was she who raised the alarm, while claiming she has still not been questioned in detail by police.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting praised her response, saying she “did exactly what we would hope someone would do in a situation like this,” but noted she had only a “partial view” of the operation.

At the same time, Donald Trump said U.S. and British agencies “knew” the suspects and claimed the men were planning to cause “major damage.” British authorities have not confirmed this version, while reports show the initial police operation did not result from a planned intelligence operation, but from a call made by residents.