00:00In a bizarre twist in the RAF Fairford terror investigation, it's now emerged that one of the
00:04suspects called 999 before police rushed to the scene. Police swooped on the Gloucester
00:08countryside in the early hours of Sunday morning after a man in his 20s from London reportedly
00:13called emergency services. Armed police then swooped in to arrest the group of men who were
00:17with three vans close to the military base, which is used by the U.S. At around 1.36 a
00:22.m.,
00:22a farmer driving home saw a group of men in balaclavas near RAF Fairford and alerted police.
00:27But according to the Times, authorities were already on the scene by this point,
00:31following the call from one of the suspects nearly an hour earlier. What exactly the men were up to
00:35remains under investigation, with police not ruling out surveillance, a dry run to test security,
00:40or a stunt to send a message to the British government. Police are also investigating
00:44whether the suspect who made the call got cold feet or whether it was part of a plan. So here's
00:49what unfolded. Five British men in their 20s, all from London, were arrested near the village of
00:54Welford, close to the RAF Fairford's perimeter. Police found three white vans parked in a wooded
00:59area, reportedly bearing fake Fuel2U logos. Counter-terror officers and bomb disposal experts
01:04rushed in, setting up a 400-metre cordon and evacuating 85 local households to a nearby leisure
01:10centre. The men were initially held under explosive laws and later arrested on suspicion
01:14of preparing acts of terrorism. However, Scotland Yard stated,
01:18We confirmed that no improvised explosive devices have been found. We have found a quantity of an
01:26accelerant, petrol, and we have recovered that as part of our investigation.
01:31Counter-terror police then made the controversial decision to release all five men on strict police
01:35fail, a move police chiefs defended as a grounded investigative decision, and UK Defence Secretary
01:40Wes Streeting called... Operational decisions that are taken by the police.
01:45But one that raised eyebrows internationally. I'm surprised that they released him. I wouldn't
01:49have done that. Look, they've been very good. They worked with us very closely.
01:53We know everything about them. We would not have released them.
01:57The incident triggered an emergency COBRA meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Andy Burnham,
02:01amid growing speculation of a connection between the weekend's incident and Iran.
02:05Counter-terrorism policing are also said to be aware of the...
02:08Significant interest in whether the current geopolitical context has a bearing on this incident.
02:13And US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed this situation...
02:17Clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor.
02:19The Iranian embassy in London has categorically denied any involvement,
02:22calling the claims unfounded and malicious.
02:24But why is RAF Fairford so significant?
02:27The Gloucestershire base is a key strategic hub for the United States military,
02:30and has recently been used by the US to carry out strikes against Iran.
02:34So where does that leave us? Five suspects, three fake vans,
02:37and a 999 call from inside the group.
02:39The suspects are on bail, but the full story behind what really happened at RAF Fairford
02:43is only just beginning to emerge.
02:45Head online to The Standard for the latest updates on this story.
