Make New York Post a Preferred Source One of the men busted in a suspected terrorist plot at a UK military base used by the US Air Force for its strikes on Iran had called police on himself, according to a report.
The unidentified suspect had called 999, the UK equivalent of 911, an hour before he and four other men — all London-based British nationals between the ages of 23 and 25 — were arrested early Sunday near Royal Air Force Base Fairford, the Times of London reported.
It was not immediately clear what he told the dispatcher — and whether he called because he got cold feet or whether it was part of a twisted plan, sources told the paper.
But the call meant that authorities were already on the scene when a farmer heading home from a party also raised the alarm at seeing the men acting suspiciously.
The five men were arrested on explosives and terrorism charges, with officials probing whether the men were acting as proxies for Iran.
Nearby homes were evacuated in a panic after police discovered the men driving three vans filled with suspected explosives that police later determined to be fuel.
“Those vehicles have been subject to extensive examination, with the support of military assets and forensic experts, and we can confirm that no improvised explosive devices were found. However, a quantity of petrol was recovered,” Laurence Taylor, the national head of counterterrorism, told reporters Tuesday night.
The farmer who later called cops claimed she noticed lettering on the side of the van appeared to be faked and that she saw masked “Middle Eastern-looking men” scatter and run through the fields in the direction of the base.
Dramatic photos showed the five men handcuffed on the ground and held at gunpoint. They were stripped to the waist over fears about possible suicide vests.
The five suspects were all released on bail Monday, drawing criticism from President Trump, who claimed they “might be” connected to Iran, who the US has been at war with since February.
“I will tell you, I would have said, ‘Don’t let them have bail,’” Trump told reporters Monday in the Oval Office.
“I’m surprised that they released them. I wouldn’t have done that. Look, they’ve been very good. They’re working with us very closely. We know everything about them. We would not have released them.”
Tehran on Monday said it “categorically rejects” any involvement in the suspected plot, with its London embassy branding the allegations as “unfounded and malicious speculations.”
Taylor confirmed Tuesday that police had searched the suspects’ residences in London and defended the decision to release the men on bail.
“I understand why this development will have come as a surprise to many, but I’d like to reiterate that it was an investigative decision, and one which is grounded in experience and careful consideration of policing powers,” he said.
