South Coast trio charged over alleged plan to attack south coast electrical grid
Three young men have now been charged in relation to an alleged terror plot on a South Coast electrical grid, which police will allege was to be carried out on the anniversary of the Christchurch shootings.
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A South Coast man has been charged with terrorism offences a week after his brother was arrested over the same alleged right-wing terror plot, while a teenager has also been charged over alleged links to the pair.
Benjamin Lucas was refused bail at Nowra Local Court on Saturday, after he was arrested outside a police station on March 15.
On Friday night, he was charged with one count of acts done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts and is facing life in prison. He was also charged with two counts of possessing a prohibited firearm.
The Batemans Bay man allegedly had hunting knives and survival equipment in his car and was charged after a series of search warrants were carried out over the last five days.
Benjamin is the older brother of Sanctuary Point man Joshua Lucas, 21, who was charged with planning a terrorist act after police uncovered an alleged plot to attack an electrical substation on the South Coast on the one-year anniversary of the Christchurch mosques massacres.
A total of 51 people died and 49 were injured when two New Zealand mosques were attacked during Friday prayer on March 15. An Australian man has pleaded not guilty to 51 counts of murder and 40 counts of attempted murder.
The matter is still before the courts.
Police will allege the brothers were involved in early planning for a terrorist act and were trying to obtain military equipment, including firearms, and other items capable of making improvised explosive devices.
During a search of Benjamin’s Catalina home, officers allegedly found extreme right-wing and anti-government material, as well as hunting knives, survival equipment and a replica firearm.
Further search warrants were also conducted late last week at Falls Creek and Tapitallee, and on Monday the Australian Federal Police confirmed a 19-year-old Falls Creek man was arrested by NSW Joint Counter terrorism Team investigators on Saturday, and subsequently
charged with one count of possession of an unauthorised firearm.
Police will allege the 19-year-old had links to the Lucas brothers.
He was granted strict conditional bail and will appear before Nowra Local Court on June 1.