Two men from Westminster have been charged under the National Security Act 2023 following an investigation into activity near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. Their cases opened at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 27 October.
Nouman Essghir, 24, has been charged under Section 4 of the Act. The allegation concerns activity on 22 August, more than a month before the incident near the airbase. He is accused of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom. He has been remanded in custody.
Mohmed Ahmad Abdulkarim, also 24, has been charged under Section 3 of the Act, which concerns conduct alleged to assist a foreign intelligence service. The investigation identifies Iran as the country to which that allegation relates. That does not amount to a finding of guilt or a court determination of any foreign-state involvement. Those questions, and the evidence supporting the charges, remain matters for the criminal process.
Abdulkarim has been granted bail with conditions, including the surrender of his passport. The two cases are due to be heard at the Old Bailey on 20 November. At this stage, the charges are allegations. Neither man has been convicted, and both are entitled to the presumption of innocence.
Charges follow a month-long investigation
The latest development follows an incident close to RAF Fairford on 27 September. Police were called after reports concerning three vehicles near the airbase, leading to a major response in the surrounding area. Residents were temporarily evacuated while examinations took place. Later examinations found no improvised explosive devices in the vehicles, although petrol was recovered.
The investigation has developed in stages since then. Arrests, releases on police bail and further investigative steps took place before the present charges were brought. A separate man who was re-arrested during the inquiry has been released without charge, while remaining on police bail in relation to his original arrest. Other people connected with the investigation remain on bail as enquiries continue.
The charges against Essghir and Abdulkarim are therefore a significant procedural step, rather than the conclusion of the wider inquiry. The live investigation is continuing alongside the court cases. Details that have not been tested in court should not be treated as established fact, and the future course of the proceedings will depend on evidence presented through the legal process.
Westminster connection
The men are both from the Borough of Westminster, giving the case a direct London connection as well as its Gloucestershire setting. The first hearing also took place in Westminster, where the immediate decisions on bail and custody were made.
National-security proceedings can involve closely managed disclosure and hearings at several stages. For the public, the key distinction is between the charges now before the court and the broader investigation, which has not yet reached an end. The forthcoming Old Bailey hearing will provide the next formal point at which the case can progress.
For now, the confirmed position is limited but clear: two Westminster men face National Security Act charges, one is in custody and one is on bail, and the underlying investigation into activity near RAF Fairford remains live.
