Two men have been charged in Britain following an investigation into a suspected terror plot involving RAF Fairford.
Mohmed Abdulkarim (24) and Nouman Essghir (24) have been charged under the National Security Act, the UK Crown Prosecution Service said.
Abdulkarim, of London, has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service while Essghir, also of London, has been charged with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. They will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The charges follow a police investigation and a security operation at the RAF airbase.
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Three vans were stopped by police near the airbase in Gloucestershire on September 27 and five men were originally arrested as a major incident was declared. No explosive materials were found in the vans, but a quantity of petrol was seized, police said. After hours of questioning, the five men were released under strict bail conditions. Since then, two more men were arrested and bailed similarly.
UK police announced last week that two men had been re-arrested while five other men arrested during the original investigation remain on police bail.
Counter Terrorism Policing previously said it was “highly likely that there is Iranian state involvement” in the incident near the Gloucestershire base.
Frank Ferguson, chief crown prosecutor for the CPS Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, said: “The Crown Prosecution Service has decided to prosecute two individuals with National Security Act offences following a Counter Terrorism Policing investigation into a high-profile incident involving RAF Fairford.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners as this complex investigation continues.”
© Independent News Services