Two Westminster men charged over alleged spying and RAF Fairford trespass
Two 24-year-old men from Westminster have been charged under the National Security Act 2023 after a counter-terrorism investigation into an incident near RAF Fairford. The charges mark the first prosecutions among seven people arrested after police were alerted to three suspicious vehicles near the Gloucestershire airbase on 27 September.
Mohmed Abdulkarim is accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service between 31 August and 28 September; the CPS has not named the service, though it is understood to be Iran. Nouman Essghir is accused of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. Both were due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, while the investigation continues.
In short
- Two men face National Security Act charges after an RAF Fairford probe.
- They are the first of seven people arrested to be charged.
- One charge concerns alleged assistance to a foreign intelligence service.
Explained simply
RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force base in Gloucestershire, used by British and visiting allied forces, including US aircraft. Military sites can be designated “prohibited places” under UK law, restricting access because of national security.
The National Security Act 2023 sets out offences including assisting a foreign intelligence service and entering a prohibited place in circumstances that could harm UK interests. The Crown Prosecution Service decides whether there is enough evidence to bring charges; a charge is an allegation, and the court process determines whether it is proved.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Two men are charged with National Security Act offences following RAF Fairford incident”.