# Five suspects arrested on suspicion of terror offences near RAF Fairford **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [September 28, 2026, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447 "2026-09-28T13:22:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/1 "2026-09-28T13:22:34Z")
[Breaking News from BBC](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et?page=7) - , a farmer who called 999 when she saw **[“a large group of hooded and masked men”](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et?post=asset%3Afa6d2b91-cee9-404d-9f5e-2bb2bd84cb96#post)** said she “foiled” their plans - **[here’s the WhatsApp she sent her neighbours](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et?post=asset%3A6bd5e739-ba85-43d4-80fd-a1d03292c267#post)** at 01:49 on Sunday - But Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the farmer only had a **[“partial picture”](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et?post=asset%3A055d8542-f5ea-4b7f-8a3b-472de4598209#post)**, while declining to speculate on the possible **[Iranian links](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et?post=asset%3A4a22c594-49f9-4f23-acb8-4d24c20c1929#post)** - The RAF base is used by the US military. President Trump said the US had the five men **[“under view for a long time, and we got them”](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c65y7nl29k0et?post=asset%3A512dcd1f-b222-4d26-9193-40a3e6f3ab6e#post)** > [@](#): > > The United States Air Force (USAF) 501st Combat Support Wing manages and supports operations and the site is predominantly used by USAF heavy bombers like the B-1B Lancer, the B-2A Spirit and the B-52H Stratofortress. > > It also routinely supports Bomber Task Force operations. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/2 "2026-09-28T13:40:10Z")
Sounds like a close call to me. 5 men and 3 vans were on the farmer’s land near the base. It is good that locals are trained to watch for suspicious activity and report it. > **[RAF Fairford latest: Terror suspects are all British men - as Iran hits out...](https://news.sky.com/story/fairford-latest-details-on-raf-bomb-plot-suspects-coming-very-soon-trump-says-13527288?embed=true)** > > Counter terror police are investigating whether Iran is behind a suspected bomb plot at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Five British men have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences. Follow the latest below. > [@](#): > > The farmer who phoned police says she came across three white vans blocking her driveway when she came home late from a party on Sunday morning. > > She said she saw several masked men nearby. … > [@](#): > > A farmer who called police to RAF Fairford has responded to Wes Streeting’s comments that she only had the “partial picture”, saying she wants the authorities to acknowledge their mistakes in the incident. > > The woman, speaking anonymously to reporters, said she was “staggered” at the amount of time it took for police to respond to the incident early yesterday morning. > > She said she called the Ministry of Defence police when she saw “a large group of men” near her farm, as local residents were trained to do, but they did not answer. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/3 "2026-09-28T14:23:09Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Sounds like a close call to me. 5 men and 3 vans were on the farmer’s land near the base. > > It is good that locals are trained to watch for suspicious activity and report it. Yeah, for sure. _Interesting_ that Trump claims to have been monitoring these guys because from what UK sources said they did not have them on their radar until they were arrested. I don’t have a cite unfortunately, I read about that yesterday and didn’t save the link. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/4 "2026-09-28T14:32:07Z")
Hang on tight, you can get dizzy from the News Spin. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/5 "2026-09-28T16:28:24Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It is good that locals are trained to watch for suspicious activity and report it. You think? This is just a woman coming home from a party in the early morning and spotting something weird and threatening. If you lived near a base that sent bombers to Iraq I imagine you would be a bit wary. No training involved. I now read that the five individuals involved (all white men from London) have been released on bail. Make of that what you will. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/6 "2026-09-28T17:12:31Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > _Interesting_ that Trump claims to have been monitoring these guys… And as someone on NPR this morning pointed out, if we were supposedly monitoring these guys, why in the world were they allowed to get as far as they did, to the point where they were almost at the base apparently ready to carry out their plot? Normally you would apprehend suspected terrorists well before they get that far along in their plan. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/7 "2026-09-28T17:47:13Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > if we were supposedly monitoring these guys, why in the world were they allowed to get as far as they did I’m just spitballing here but maybe – just maybe – Trump lied. I know it’s hard to conceive but work with me here. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/8 "2026-09-28T17:52:36Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > You think? This is just a woman coming home from a party in the early morning and spotting something weird and threatening. If you lived near a base that sent bombers to Iraq I imagine you would be a bit wary. No training involved. Plus from what I heard they were blocking the road to her house. So even if the base phone line dismissed her, there was still the problem of, if not blocking her house, being close enough that she should be worried enough anyway enough to call 999. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/9 "2026-09-28T17:53:42Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I now read that the five individuals involved (all white men from London) have been released on bail. Make of that what you will. Have authorities stated what was found in the van? Bombs or materials to make them is a serious crime. Guns are regulated in Britain. I’m surprised they qualified for bail. It depends on what the police found. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/10 "2026-09-28T18:06:30Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I now read that the five individuals involved (all white men from London) have been released on bail. Make of that what you will. Not that it would be surprising (the people who sabotaged an RAF base with equipment that was headed to Ukraine were mostly white IIRC) but where are you seeing this info? All I’m seeing is that they are British nationals: > **[Terror suspects arrested near British air base used by U.S. released on bail](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/united-kingdom/farmers-tip-may-led-5-arrests-uk-air-base-used-us-rcna600195)** > > The five British nationals were detained after a massive security operation near a base used by the U.S. to facilitate strikes on Iran. > [@DesertDog](#): > > I’m just spitballing here but maybe – just maybe – Trump lied. That seems like a safe assumption. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/11 "2026-09-28T18:10:34Z")
About eighty years ago, British farmers would be on the alert for Germans falling out of the sky, whether pilots or paratroops. England was rather worried about invasion. Might be a family habit passed down over time. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/12 "2026-09-28T19:36:56Z")
The “farmer” was obvoiusly Trump’s agent in the field. She made up the story about spotting suspicious activity to alert the British authorities while not blowing her cover. Obvoiusly. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/13 "2026-09-28T19:49:26Z")
Rubbish. A farmer would be concerned about theft. Either of machinery or stock, and anyone living near RAF Fairford would also be concerned about attempts on that. It appears that security at the base has been on high alert recently, and locals would be aware of that. I saw a report of a woman with children in her car who were stopped by some overbearing American military and, after an unpleasant encounter, were made to turn around. Do you think these people don’t talk to each other? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/14 "2026-09-28T20:18:42Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > And as someone on NPR this morning pointed out, if we were supposedly monitoring these guys, why in the world were they allowed to get as far as they did, to the point where they were almost at the base apparently ready to carry out their plot? I have a theory about that: Trump is lying. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/15 "2026-09-28T20:20:43Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m surprised they qualified for bail. Especially when you consider that Trump was already watching them! Oh, they cleverly slipped through our grasp! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-suspects-arrested-on-suspicion-of-terror-offences-near-raf-fairford/1033447/16 "2026-09-28T20:38:18Z")
Yes, there are many unanswered questions. It is a relief they apparently didn’t show up with three vans of explosives. At least now security concerns should be at even a higher level. I’d bet this was a major pucker factor for the Brits and US officials. > **[Questions remain over Iran’s link to alleged RAF Fairford bomb plot](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/sep/28/questions-remain-over-irans-link-to-alleged-raf-fairford-bomb-plot)** > > Tehran has been trying to step up attacks on targets in the west but its track record has been mixed > [@](#): > > Though the five were arrested on suspicion of carrying explosives and involvement in a terror plot, after more than 24 hours of searches, nothing had been discovered that would prompt further police action – perhaps explaining why MI5 had no idea that the men and their vans would turn up a mile from the base with unclear intent. > > British officials admitted on Sunday the arrests were not led by intelligence, but rather last-minute warnings on the ground. Counter-terror police said they were first aware of three vehicles travelling to the base at 12.45am on Sunday, while [a local farmer phoned 999 at 1.36am after the vans blocked the entrance to her drive](https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/28/farmer-raf-fairford-no-follow-up).