‘Failed IS kidnap’ at RAF base was just a mugging, say police

THE attempted kidnapping of an RAF airman near his base was a bungled mugging by opportunist thieves, police believe.

A manhunt involving 70 officers, including a counter-terrorism squad from Scotland Yard, was launched after the serviceman was attacked at knifepoint while out jogging near RAF Marham in July.

Two male suspects – described as of Middle Eastern appearance – were initially feared to be jihadists plotting a Lee Rigby-style attack.

But five months on, police believe they were local criminals who may have attempted to snatch the airman’s phone when they saw him listening to music through his earphones as he jogged.

Detectives said yesterday the ‘net is closing in’ on the pair, who are thought to have targeted him by chance as they drove past the Norfolk base.

Another theory is that the thugs pounced in a road rage attack. The serviceman was jogging in the road and may have unwittingly ‘cut them up’. As he had headphones on, he would not have heard the vehicle behind him or any driver remonstrating.

After reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV and 500 calls from the public after a massive public appeal, Norfolk Police say they have no evidence to suggest the attack was related to terrorism.

Within hours of the attack, servicemen at RAF Marham were warned to keep a low profile and not to travel alone.

Since Fusilier Lee Rigby was murdered in 2013 by two Islamist fanatics outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, there have been fears of copycat attacks.

Earlier this year, it emerged that Islamic State extremists had compiled a ‘hit list’ to distribute to home-grown jihadists in Britain that included details of potentially vulnerable RAF bases.

The attack on the airman, who has not been named, took place on July 20 about a mile from the gates of RAF Marham, home to four squadrons of Tornado bombers flying missions against IS.

The country was on high alert after a terrorist attack in Nice a week earlier, when a truck driver killed 84 by ploughing through crowds celebrating Bastille Day.

But detectives now believe the airman may have mistaken an attempted robbery for terrorism.

The victim, who is married and in his late 20s, had gone for a run around 3.30pm when a stocky bearded man leapt out at him from a parked car.

The airman told police the man grabbed his wrist and tried to drag him towards a dark-coloured people carrier. His assailant shouted something, but he did not hear what was said as he had earphones in.

He fought back and head-butted his attacker, knocking him to the ground as a second man ran towards him wielding a combat-style knife with a 3in blade. He managed to flee and raise the alarm.

Detective Superintendent Paul Durham, of the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, confirmed that the focus of the £70,000 inquiry had shifted to consider robbery or road rage.

He added: ‘From his perspective, it’s completely understandable to see why he would have thought it was a terrorist-related incident but I am leaning towards this being non-terrorist related and there are good reasons for that.

‘It’s likely we will get to the bottom of this locally rather than further afield. We have made some good progress and I feel the net is closing in.’

The investigation team, now scaled back to 12 officers, is looking into possible links to local criminals.

No suspects have been interviewed but the officer leading the case said: ‘We are investing quite heavily in some of the theories we have come up with now in terms of more conventional-type criminality.’

The victim returned to work after the incident but he has since been granted further leave to recover.

‘We have made progress – the net is closing in’