RAF Fairford Plot: No Explosives, Petrol Recovered

Five people were in custody in connection with an alleged plot near a British military base that houses many U.S. military personnel.

No explosives

Update 1:15 p.m. ET, Sept. 28: British counter-terrorism police said no explosives were found in vans allegedly driven by the five people, The Associated Press reported.

Counter Terrorism Policing chief, Laurence Taylor, said “a quantity of petrol was recovered” from the vehicles.

“A police response was activated in the early hours of Sunday morning due to a range of information that we received,” he said, according to The Independent. “This included a call from the member of public about several vehicles acting suspiciously close to RAF Fairford.

“Now, those vehicles, as I explained yesterday, have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices have been found.

“We have found a quantity of an accelerant, petrol, and we have recovered that as part of our investigation.”

The details were shared on Tuesday as officials gave an update as to why the five people were released from custody, the AP reported.

Officials said that properties in London have been searched and that the investigation is being scaled down and expected to be finished by Wednesday, Reuters reported.

To be released

Update 11:05 a.m. ET, Sept. 28: The five people who were arrested on suspicion of terrorism will be released on bail, but the incident is still under investigation, The Associated Press reported.

They could have been held for up to 14 days.

The head of the U.K. counterterrorism police, Laurence Taylor, who announced that the men would be released, said they are still investigating whether the alleged plot was “actively committed by proxies or individuals,” the Times reported.

He did not say if investigators found explosives in the vans that were being searched, or a potential target or motive.

Original report: Five men were arrested Sunday on suspicion of terrorism. All are British nationals from London and in their early 20s.

The Washington Post reported that they can be held for up to 14 days.

Their identities have not been released as the British government does not release identities until a person is charged.

A farmer said she called police after she noticed “a large group of hooded and masked men” lingering near a tree line at the base, the BBC reported.

“When they saw me they ran ahead of me - some into the field and some towards the neighboring village,” the woman said. “I then realized that something highly unusual was taking place.”

She said police swarmed the area within 10 minutes of her call.

“I think it was pure luck that I arrived in the village at a similar time to the vans,” the woman told the BBC.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham cautioned people against speculating about who is behind the alleged plot, saying the investigation is ongoing and urging them to allow police to “establish the full facts,” the Times reported.

The base has been used by American bombers during decades of conflict in the Middle East, The Associated Press reported.

Officials are investigating possible links to Iran, Russia or nonstate-backed militants. Anti-war protests also have been staged near the base.

Iran denied involvement, saying it “categorically rejects and strongly condemns the recent unfounded and malicious speculation,” The Washington Post reported.

After the arrests, the British Army bomb squad used robots to search the three vans allegedly driven by the men while the authorities evacuated 85 homes near the vans. Residents had not returned home as of Monday morning, and the vehicles remained at the scene, the Post said.