Terrorism: Discovery foiled ‘potential mass-casualty event’

Premier Chris Minns has defended the decision to keep the discovery of a explosives-laden van secret from the public.

Premier Chris Minns has defended a decision to withhold information about the discovery of an explosives-laden caravan bound for key Jewish targets, saying counter-terror police needed to carry out their investigation in secrecy.

However the joint decision by the state and federal government to shield the Jewish community from the discovery has been questioned by a key Jewish leader.

Mr Minns described the explosive-laden caravan containing the address of potential Jewish targets as an act of “terrorism”, declaring its discovery foiled a “potential mass-casualty event”.

“Police made operational decisions in order to keep the public safe, to arrest those responsible for these terrible alleged acts and to ensure that a full investigation can take place,” Mr Minns said on 2GB.

The premier confirmed that police had not disclosed the discovery for over a week until it was leaked to the media.

“Regrettably, there was a media leak yesterday afternoon. Once that had appeared in the newspapers, it was clear that both myself and police had to do and talk about this publicly,” Minns said.

“But that doesn’t mean the police were twiddling their thumbs for the last nine or ten days.”

Police searching a dwelling on a property in Dural. Picture: TNV

However, Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, told reporters on Thursday that a “private briefing” should have been given to stakeholders in the Jewish community before the knowledge became public.

“I think once the initial phase of the investigation had begun and they had identified whatever perpetrators they were able to, there should at least have been a private briefing to the institutions.”

“The sooner the better, they are the ones who are at risk and have a right to know if their security is being threatened.”

“It’s always better to face your fears when you understand what you’re facing, rather than to be presented with something out of the blue,” he said

Mr Wertheim also said he was “shocked” at the length of time that passed before the caravan was discovered.

“If the caravan had blown up during the six weeks that it was just standing there in the street, full of explosives, the casualties would have been anyone who happened to live in that area.

Co-CEO's Executive Council of Australian Jewry Peter Wertheim and Alex Ryvchin Picture: John Feder

‘EXCEPTIONALLY HECTIC’

A local resident discovered the van abandoned in an unsafe spot in December and towed it to his property, where it remained untouched for more than five weeks.

Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson said the van had been padlocked, preventing the man from opening it sooner.

“It was padlocked, that was the security on the door of the caravan was removed on the 19th by that landowner, and subsequently found what he found and contacted us,” he told 2GB’s Ben Fordham

“Since then, it’s been exceptionally hectic, as you could imagine from an investigative point of view, up until yesterday, when we made certain announcements based on media reporting.”

The deputy police commissioner also revealed details about the type of explosives found inside the van.

“Powergel, which is quite regularly used in the mining industry and almost exclusively used in the mining industry,” he said on 2GB.

“We have inquiries being conducted, and have been over the last 10 days into identifying where that may have been sourced from, that forms part of our investigative strategies. And those inquiries are ongoing.”

Premier Chris Minns and Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson address the media on Wednesday afternoon. Picture: Richard Dobson

BACKLASH TO TREASURER’S COMMENTS

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ remarks on the explosives plot have drawn criticism from Jewish leaders after he suggested the incident demonstrated that fears within the Jewish community “are not always unfounded.”

Speaking on Sunrise, Chalmers said the discovery reinforced concerns about the safety of Jewish Australians.

“What it shows is that the fears that a lot of Australians in the Jewish community have are not always unfounded,” he said.

“The view of the Joint Counter-Terrorism Police teams is that this did have the potential to be a mass casualty event… This is why it is so important that we work closer, and we are, with the police and other authorities because there is absolutely no place for violence or anti-Semitism in our country.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Picture: NewsWire / Nadir Kinani

However, his comments were met with backlash from Jewish leaders, including NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip, who called them “outrageous.”

“This is an outrageous comment by Mr Chalmers, and he must immediately specify what ‘unfounded concerns’ of the Jewish community he was referring to,” Ossip said.

“This goes to the heart of the problem with the Albanese Government – they never took our warnings seriously until we reached a state of absolute crisis.”

POTENTIAL MASS CASUALTY EVENT

Mr Minns on Wednesday night vowed to throw the “full resources of the government” into investigating the caravan dumped at Dural, which was discovered on January 19.

The premier was first briefed about the caravan’s discovery the next day.

He said it marked a serious escalation in the recent spate of anti-Semitic hate crimes in Sydney.

“This is the discovery of a ­potential mass casualty event,” he said.

“There’s only one way of calling it out, and that is terrorism.

“This would strike terror into the community, particularly the Jewish community, and it must be met with the full resources of the government, and I want to assure the people of NSW that is exactly what’s happening.”

Police search a dwelling on a property in Dural. Picture: TNV

Mr Minns pre-empted NSW Police in declaring a potential terror incident.

“The full resources of the state of NSW and NSW Police have been deployed to confront this very serious threat to our community,” Mr Minns said.

Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said that declaration had not yet been made because NSW Police did not need any extra powers in their investigation.

Mr Minns defended NSW Police not revealing the grim discovery for 10 days, saying authorities needed to “be able to conduct investigations as they see fit”.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley has been briefed but did not address the media on Wednesday as she was dealing with a “private, personal family emergency”, Mr Minns said.

The Jewish community and its leaders described the discovery was “extremely concerning” and “alarming”.

The Zionist Federation of Australia said it was “undoubtedly the most severe threat to the Jewish community in Australia to date”.

“The plot, if executed, would likely have resulted in the worst terrorist attack on Australian soil,” the federation said.

“For 16 months, the Jewish community has been warning that unchecked incitement, violent rhetoric, and weak leadership have created the perfect environment for extremism and terrorism to flourish.

“This foiled attack is yet another manifestation of the senseless hatred and violence that continues to target our community.”

The federation added that the threat was not just to Jewish Australians, but also to “our shared values, our safety, and our way of life”.

“It is long past time for leaders at every level to take decisive action against those who incite hatred, glorify terrorism, and create the conditions for such atrocities to be planned,” it said

“The Jewish community will not be intimidated.

“We will continue to stand strong, proud, and united, and we expect those in positions of power to ensure that threats against our community are met with zero tolerance.”

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip said the discovery “undoubtedly represents a further escalation in the campaign of domestic terrorism which has been targeted at the Jewish community”.

“It goes without saying that this is a matter of the gravest possible consequence,” he said.

“We have been saying for weeks now that the Jewish community is the target of an ongoing campaign of domestic terrorism. This is now beyond dispute.

“We are engaging closely with law enforcement and the government in relation to this matter and the ongoing security of the Jewish community.”

‘Gravest possible consequence’.... NSW President of the Jewish Board of Deputies David Ossip. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard

Mr Wertheim said on Wednesday his organisation had been in contact with the Australian Federal Police about the incident.

“We were most concerned to read the reports of this alarming incident,” he said.

“We have been assured there is no ongoing threat to the Jewish or wider community.”

“We have also been assured that the matter is being thoroughly investigated by the police to get to the bottom of exactly what happened, who was involved and what their motives were.”

Amir Maimon, Israel’s ambassador to Australia, said he was “deeply alarmed” by the revelations, just days after International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

“Jews fled to Australia to escape the same hatred that fuels these attacks,” he said in a post on X.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also issued a statement, declaring: “We condemn unequivocally this act.”

“The full might of the AFP, ASIO and NSW Police are being utilised in this major investigation by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team,” he said.

“Hate and extremism have no place in Australian society.”

The Daily Telegraph is knows list of potential Jewish sites targeted but has chosen not to publish them at the request of NSW Police.

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