Terror arrest: 18-year-old Sydney man held over alleged ‘lone wolf’ plot

Macquarie Park teenager Tamim Khaja, 18, who is being questioned at Parramatta police station, allegedly tried to travel to Syria in February but had a cancelled passport and was turned back.

POLICE are carrying out a search warrant at the Macquarie Park family home of 18-year-old Sydney man Tamim Khaja who has been arrested over the plotting of an alleged terrorist act.

Tamim Khaja was arrested today over an alleged terror plot in Sydney.

The teenager, who is being held at Parramatta police station where officers from the NSW Counter-Terrorism Unit and Federal Police have been questioning him, allegedly tried to travel to Syria in February but had a cancelled passport and was rejected for travel.

It will be alleged he then went about plotting an attack in Sydney and was scouting out sites, understood to be institutions of authority, to carry out an attack.

The teen is understood to have associations with people who are before the courts on terror charges.

“They’re a very clean living and peaceful family, they’re very quiet and nice family,” neighbour Deb Wright said.

“It’s very shocking for the neighbourhood, you wouldn’t expect to happen to that family, there are other families who you might expect a bit of trouble from.”

She said the family had lived at the property for more than 10 years and had never seen a police presence at the house.

Deputy Commissioner Cath Burn said the “attack was probably imminent”.

“Unfortunately what is concerning is that we are still seeing people who want to do an attack in our country,” Ms Burn said.

“We are still seeing people planning and preparing for such attacks, and unfortunately that group of people are getting younger and younger and as we all know, youth are vulnerable particularly around the radicalisation.”

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The Joint Counter-Terrorism Taskforce takes the suspect into custody. Picture: NSW Police

Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said those plotting atrocities locally were getting ‘younger and younger’

Deputy Commissioner Burn would not rule out that the teen was looking at other methods of attack, other than firearm.

It is understood Khaja, a former Epping Boys High School student, was known to police however he was not on any deradicalisation programs.

Sources have said the act appeared to be a “lone wolf’’-style attack similar to one planned by another accused on Anzac Day.

NSW Police have released photos of a Joint Counter-Terrorism Taskforce arrest on Tuesday, May 17th, 2016. Photo courtesy of NSW Police

‘Swift action’: Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan. Picture: David Caird.

“We have taken swift action to ensure the safety of the community and we are satisfied that any threat to the community posed by the individual has been mitigated,” AFP Acting Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan told reporters in Sydney.

Mr Khaja is expected to be charged with two offences — one of allegedly planning a terrorism attack and one of preparation for foreign incursions.

The AFP say the arrest is not linked to Operation Middleham where five Victorian men were recently arrested in Queensland over an alleged plan to travel to Indonesia by boat to join Islamic State.