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A report says one suspect called UK police before five men were arrested near RAF Fairford, where vans were checked for explosives. Police confirmed no improvised explosive devices were found and released the men on bail.
A new report says the suspected plot at a British air base was uncovered when one of the alleged perpetrators called police. The Times said the call was made shortly before officers detained five men near three white vans at the perimeter of Royal Air Force base at Fairford.
Nine Eleven Call Triggered Police Investigation
The call was made to the 999 emergency line, the equivalent of Australia's 000 service. It was not known whether the call was part of the plot or a sign he had second thoughts about the plan, the newspaper said. The vans were later checked for explosives. They were painted to look like commercial vehicles carrying fuel.
A bomb disposal robot was seen examining the vans on Sunday. The head of National Counter Terrorism Policing, Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor, said the vehicles had been checked as part of the investigation. Those vehicles have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found, he said.
However, a quantity of petrol was recovered. Yesterday we released the five men on police bail, Taylor said. They remain under investigation and must adhere to strict conditions while we continue our work. The safety of the public is at the forefront of our investigative decision-making, and this was certainly the case yesterday, he said.
Suspects Released On Police Bail After Detention
Taylor acknowledged the release on bail would have come as a surprise to many people. He said it was an investigative decision and was grounded in experience and a careful consideration of policing powers. Police arrested the five men at the Fairford air base before dawn on Sunday. The suspects were released on bail about 38 hours after they were detained near the perimeter of the base used by American aircraft to strike Iran.
Gloucestershire Police said they received a call at around 12.45am on Sunday, about 9.45am AEST, about three suspicious vehicles travelling towards RAF Fairford. The developments have heightened speculation that the plot was an attempt by a foreign power, such as Iran or possibly Russia, to test British defences by hiring proxies to drive to the air base.
A witness told The Telegraph that she saw the men and the vans on a local road at about 1.30am on Sunday, about 10.30am on Sunday AEST. She drove away quickly to alert the police. I saw a group of Middle Eastern-looking young guys running off through the trees, she told The Telegraph. Some of them had masks or balaclavas on, and they all scattered ahead of us as we drove back past.
Trump Claims Suspects Under Surveillance
Hours after the arrests, US President Donald Trump said the suspects had been under surveillance for a long time and were attempting to do big damage to the base. No British minister or police spokesperson has said the suspects had been under surveillance. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has not named Iran as the source of the threat but has hinted that it was a possibility.
We know that Iran and their proxies wish to do us harm, he said on BBC TV on Sunday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News the incident clearly involves a foreign actor. What happened, what almost happened, what could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a very serious situation, he told the Hannity program. It is one that clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.
As with Trump's remarks, the comments from the US were not confirmed by any minister or police authority in the UK. Police have not commented on the report about the phone call, but confirmed further details on Tuesday night, about 3am on Wednesday AEST.
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brisbanetimes:This story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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