NSW Police arrest Riverwood man over alleged terrorism offences
A 21-year-old Riverwood man arrested by counter-terrorism police today had allegedly been planning local attacks and attempted to influence teenagers to do the same, police say.
NSW
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A 21-year-old arrested yesterday in Sydney in the wake of London’s fatal terrorist stabbings had been planning local knife attacks, police allege.
Counter-terrorist police raided the Riverwood home of Youssef Uweinat who who police allege had pledged allegiance to IS and was trying to radicalise teenagers on encrypted social media.
Police allege the man came to their attention on the “periphery” of another alleged terrorist plot earlier this year which led to the arrests of alleged IS supporters Isaak El Matari, 20, and Radwan Dakkak, 23, who police have claimed planned to set up a Blue Mountains stronghold from which to conduct “guerrilla-style attacks”.
Friday’s London Bridge terror attack which killed two Cambridge University students, Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, was “a factor” in yesterday’s raids across southwest Sydney, Assistant Australian Federal Police Commissioner Ian McCartney said.
Mr McCartney said that Uweinat, who lived with his parents, had allegedly provided online commentary on “other terrorist attacks”. It is understood he was born and raised in Australia.
“This activity is not connected to the London terrorist attack but with that, and (with) this activity, unfortunately this problem is not going away,” he said.
“This is not about religion.”
The NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team executed search warrants at Uweinat’s home and the home of his grandparents in Condell Park and the third home of another family member.
Police said the NRL fan had not mentioned specific targets.
“It will be alleged in court that the man created and posted increasingly extremist material on social media and downloaded a document on basic weapons and tactics that police allege could be used to facilitate a terrorist attack,” police said in a statement.
It will also be alleged that he tried to get teenagers aged 17 and 18 to follow his lead and pledge allegiance to IS.
“The message couldn’t be clearer — there is no place for violent extremism in our community, and all law enforcement agencies will continue to work together to identify and prosecute individuals involved in these activities,” NSW Police Counter Terrorism & Special Tactics Commander, Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton, said.
“While there was no specific threat in relation to this individual, the alleged actions of this man were of significant concern to the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team, and we have responded accordingly.”
The man was charged with planning terrorist acts, being a member of a terror organisation and advocating terrorism. He will appear at Parramatta Local Court today.
Dakkak and El Matari both remain in jail bail refused.