Kidnappers at RAF base ‘dodged CCTV cameras’
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ATTACKERS who tried to abduct an RAF serviceman at knifepoint may have deliberately chosen their escape route to avoid CCTV, it was claimed yesterday.
As police continued their search for the two suspects, a source said they managed to avoid security cameras on at least two of the main routes away from the scene.
And it has now emerged that a total of 70 officers – including 20 from Scotland Yard’s counterterrorism squad – are hunting for the men.
This is despite Norfolk Constabulary insisting again this weekend that there was ‘no credible evidence’ to suggest that the attempted abduction at RAF Marham was terror-related.
The men, who are both described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, tried to bundle the airman into a car as he jogged near the airbase two weeks ago. Police have received more than 150 calls from the public – but none have been confirmed sightings of the pair.
Officers have trawled through hours of CCTV footage without finding any images of the dark-coloured people carrier they used.
Detective Superintendent Paul Durham, who is leading the inquiry, said there are a ‘number of potential routes’ to and from the scene, and admitted it is ‘unclear what route they took’.
He added that the CCTV footage recovered by police so far is ‘very challenging and patchy at best, in terms of geographical coverage’. He described it as being ‘hit and miss’ in quality.
One source said that the attack- ers managed to avoid security cameras on at least two of the main escape routes.
‘There is CCTV by a Costcutter shop close to the base which the police have seized,’ the source said. ‘The belief is that the attackers avoided driving past it.
‘And when they reached the end of the road they turned left. By doing this they avoided more CCTV cameras to the right.’
While the force has not ruled out terrorism, it said the attack could also have been a case of mistaken identity over a drugs debt – or even a domestic dispute.
The married serviceman – who is in his late 20s – was targeted on July 20 about a mile from the gates of the base, which is home to Tornado bombers flying missions against Islamic State.
He had gone for a run outside the Norfolk military base when the first suspect leapt at him from a parked car.
He tried to drag him towards the people carrier but the airman knocked the man to the
‘Coverage is patchy at best’
ground. A second man then ran at him with the knife, but was distracted seeing his accomplice on the ground – allowing the airman to escape.
The running route is often used by base staff, meaning the pair could have been lying in wait for a lone victim to abduct. Within hours of the attack, servicemen at RAF Marham – which is around ten miles from King’s Lynn – were sent a memo warning them to keep a low profile and not to travel alone amid fears that the attack was a Lee Rigby-style terrorist plot.
Fusilier Rigby was killed by two jihadists outside his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, in 2013.
Both suspects are said to be of Middle Eastern origin and between 20 and 30 years old. The first is about 6ft, with dark hair and beard. The second is younger and about 5ft 10in.
Det Supt Durham said: ‘Regarding the search for our suspects, we are not focusing on any specific area. I’m keeping an open mind as to where they are from.
‘It’s evident the would-be attackers have underestimated the victim’s ability to fight back. There is no credible evidence this is a terrorist incident, but that remains one of a number of possibilities.’
A Norfolk Constabulary spokesman said detectives think the attackers avoided the CCTV by ‘luck rather than meticulous planning’.