Prosecutors alleged in a London court that Mohmed Abdulkarim acted as an intermediary for a foreign handler named “Ali” in exchange for payments totaling around £70,000 to facilitate a mission against the RAF Fairford airbase. The plot was foiled on Sept 27 when one of five men arrested near the Gloucestershire base called police after receiving a warning that a bomb was inside their vehicles. While police found metal drums containing £300 worth of petrol in three vans, no improvised explosives were recovered from the scene.
Abdulkarim and Nouman Essghir, both 24, face charges under the National Security Act 2023 for assisting a foreign intelligence service and entering a prohibited place, respectively. UK Counter Terrorism Policing believes the operation was directed by the Iranian state and targeted the installation, which hosts U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers. Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor stated the decision to temporarily release suspects on bail during the investigation was a tactical move that ultimately allowed officers to secure the current charges.