A alleged member of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards who claimed he was a British tourist has been arrested on terror charges as he is accused of spying on a British RAF base in Cyprus.
The individual, from Azerbaijan, was arrested by the country’s Anti-Terrorism Squad after receiving intelligence he was planning an imminent terrorist attack from a cooperating foreign service, sources claim.
The man is accused of having the British RAF military base in nearby Akrotiri under surveillance since mid-April, as well as Cyprus’s own Andreas Papandreou Air Base in the western region of Paphos. Sources say he was planning an immediate terrorist attack.
Two further arrests linked to the case are said to have been made in the UK in an operation that involves intelligence services, Europol and Interpol.
84 Squadron is based at the British RAF base in Akrotiri, with extra British Typhoon planes being sent to the island in recent weeks as tensions ratchet up across the Middle East.
Britain’s largest airforce base in the region, while it has been theorised that the US could ask the UK to use the base for refueling aircraft to help fighter jets and bombers strike targets in the Middle East.
It is said he claimed he was a British tourist during the alleged operation, which had been going on since April. During surveillance he was spotted walking around the British bases almost every day carrying a large camera with a telephoto lens and three mobile phones.
He was also seen taking the bus to Cyprus’ Paphos aiur base, where he photographed installations in a suspicious manner.
Photographic equipment, notes, computers, three mobile phones and professional tripods with telephoto lenses are said to have been found at the man’s flat.
He has been locked up for eight days while inquiries are carried out on the Mediterranean island.
Cypriot news sources said he had been arrested in the Zakaki suburb of the coastal tourist hotspot Limassol, close to the British base, where he is understood to have a flat.
Police refused to give any further information, citing national security reasons as tension in the region continues to mount over the Israel-Iran war.
Cyprus lies very close to the Middle East and has in recent days been used as a transit point for people either leaving or going to the region amid a conflict between regional foes Israel and Iran, which broke out on June 13. Terror-related offences on the island are very rare.
Senior officers have this week been considering whether the base and the surrounding airspace require additional protection, particularly if the conflict continues to escalate.
In that scenario, military sources suggested troops from Royal Artillery units specialising in air defence would be readied for deployment.
16 Regiment (RA), which includes radar, surveillance and guided weapons specialists, is among those being considered, the Mail understands.
The regiment, which is part of the UK’s 7 Air Defence Group, is equipped with LEAPP surveillance technology which identifies all friendly and hostile aircraft over a range of 75 miles.
It also has ‘Giraffe’ 360-degree radars which have ‘vision’ over the same range.
Any incoming Iranian or Hezbollah ordnance could be eliminated using Sky Sabre, a surface-to-air defensive weapon system.
Sky Sabre can fire up to 24 missiles simultaneously, effective against ballistic missiles and drones.
Today’s arrest comes just a day after a separate breach in security at an RAF base in the UK.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is understood to be drafting a statement to be put before Parliament on Monday officially proscribing the group as a terrorist organisation. This will mean belonging to Palestine Action or promoting its activities will become a criminal offence.
Sir Keir Starmer condemned the group’s actions in Oxfordshire as ‘disgraceful’ and ‘an act of vandalism’. Two protesters broke in and sprayed red paint into the engines of two Voyager refuelling planes and damaged them with crowbars to highlight Britain’s role in the Middle East conflict.
The clip shows one person riding an electric scooter up to an Airbus Voyager air-to-air refuelling tanker and appearing to spray paint into its jet engine.
The incident is being also investigated by counter terror police.
Palestine Action said: ‘We represent every person who stands for Palestinian liberation. If they want to ban us, they ban us all.’
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) welcomed the news that Ms Cooper intended to proscribe the group, saying: ‘Nobody should be surprised that those who vandalised Jewish premises with impunity have now been emboldened to sabotage RAF jets.’
The FCDO, MOD and Home Office have been contacted for comment.
