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Terrorism raids: police make arrests after raids across Sydney and Brisbane Terrorism raids: 'random attack' plan sparks Sydney and Brisbane operation
(about 3 hours later)
Police have made a number of arrests after raids on a string of properties in Sydney and Queensland in what could be the biggest counter-terrorism raid in Australia’s history. A violent attack on a random member of the public had been planned by a man charged after the largest anti-terrorism operation in Australia’s history, according to police.
Police have not specified how many people have been arrested, saying the operation in the north-west of Sydney was ongoing. More than 800 police officers were involved in raids in Sydney’s north-west on Thursday morning with 15 people detained and one person charged.
The AFP confirmed three properties were raided in Upper Mount Gravatt East, Logan, and Underwood, south of Brisbane, but would not be drawn on any further detail. Australian federal police Acting Commissioner Andrew Colvin said a violent attack had been planned for “the streets of New South Wales” but would not go into detail, saying it would be revealed in court.
Hundreds of police officers are believed to be involved in the Sydney raids, which was a joint counter-terrorism operation between the AFP and NSW police. There are reports the plan was to kidnap someone from the street and behead them while filming it.
The Daily Telegraph reports terrorism attacks were planned on Australian soil which the AFP would not confirm or deny. The pre-dawn raids in Sydney were conducted at the same time as, but not directly related to, raids in Queensland with police saying the raids south of Brisbane were in relation to a counter-terrorism raid last week where two people were arrested and charged. About 70 officers were involved in Thursday’s raids in Queensland.
Police were expected to release more details later on Thursday. The New South Wales police commissioner, Andrew Scipione, said there was no need to “whip” up the raids and that the operation reflected the strength and capability of Australia’s counter-terrorism forces.
The Sydney raids took place in Beecroft, Bellavista, Guildford, Merrylands, Northmead, Wentworthville, Marsfield, Westmead, Castle Hill, Revesby, Bass Hill and Regents Park. “It is of serious concern that right at the heart of our communities we have people that are planning to conduct random attacks,” he said. “Today we worked together to make sure that didn’t happen. We have disrupted that particular attack.
There are reports the operation is connected to two arrests in Brisbane last week during a counter-terrorism operation with one of the raids in the same suburb, Underwood, where an Islamic bookshop was searched. “Our police will continue to work tirelessly to prevent any such attacks but certainly can I stress that right now, is a time for calm. We don’t need to whip this up.”
Two men aged 31 and 21 were arrested in last week’s raids in a joint operation involving about 180 Australian federal police (AFP) and Queensland police. He said the violence to be perpetuated against a member of the public was a “very high level” and it would become apparent through the courts what was going to happen.
Some of those arrested have had their passports cancelled because they were planning to travel to Syria or Iraq.
Twenty-five search warrants were executed in the Sydney raids which were in the suburbs of Beecroft, Bellavista, Guildford, Merrylands, Northmead, Wentworthville, Marsfield, Westmead, Castle Hill, Revesby, Bass Hill and Regents Park.
Colvin said the officers included investigators, forensic experts, tactical officers and surveillance officers.
“This is the largest operation of its type undertaken in Australia’s history,” he said.
“ ... I think the message that we need to make clear here is that police are working very hard across this country and are very well coordinated and the community should have absolute confidence in the work of their law enforcement security agencies to work together.
“While the raids in Queensland are not directly related to what has happened here today in NSW, as I said before, the investigations continue and we are looking at the linkages between the two.”
Police would not say if the targets of the operation had any links to Islamic State.
The raids come after the terror alert level in Australia was raised from medium to high last week.
Police say the threat level was not raised because of the intelligence that led to Thursday’s raids. Colvin said it had been raised because of a range of factors.
When asked if the prime minister was aware of the alleged planned attacks, Colvin responded: “Clearly you would understand that all levels of government need to understand what the national security threat in this country is. We have regular and ongoing briefings with all levels of government including the prime minister on the generic aspects of the national counter-terrorism threat, the national security threat.”
He added: “I don’t think anyone would be surprised it’s in the interests that the PM and political leaders have an understanding of what is going on.”
Two men aged 31 and 21 were arrested in last week’s raids in Queensland in a joint operation involving about 180 federal police and Queensland police.
It is alleged the men were involved in recruiting, facilitating and funding people to travel to Syria to engage in hostile activities.It is alleged the men were involved in recruiting, facilitating and funding people to travel to Syria to engage in hostile activities.
The 31-year-old, Omar Succarieh, is the brother of Ahmed Succarieh, Australia’s first suicide bomber to die in Syria, and was charged with providing funds to the terrorist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra. The other man was not named.The 31-year-old, Omar Succarieh, is the brother of Ahmed Succarieh, Australia’s first suicide bomber to die in Syria, and was charged with providing funds to the terrorist organisation Jabhat al-Nusra. The other man was not named.
At the time the AFP’s national manager counter terrorism assistant commissioner, Neil Gaughan, said no attacks were planned on Australian soil and emphasised the arrests were in relation to assisting people overseas. The previous largest counter-terrorism operation in Australia was Operation Pendennis in 2005 when 13 men were arrested over planned bomb attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.
“I would like to stress there is no information or intelligence available to police or security agencies at this time to indicate that these males were involved in terrorism attack planning in Australia,” Gaughan said.
Gaughan added that the men were not connected to Islamic State (Isis). “This has got nothing to do with Islam,” he said. “This is criminal behaviour by Australians involved in terrorist activity.”
It later emerged in court at least one of the men had connections to Islamic State.
The last large-scale counter-terrorism operation in Australia was Operation Pendennis in 2005 when 13 men were arrested over planned bomb attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.