Anthony Albanese “out of the loop” over Sydney terror plot as cops make arrests and hunt for alleged mastermind
Police are on the hunt for the masterminds of an alleged Sydney terror plot after making two unrelated arrests, while Albo has come under fire for being “out of the loop”.
The Prime Minister, Attorney-General and national security committee were all “out of the loop” and left in the dark over the alleged anti-Semitic caravan bomb plot by the AFP for ten days before the investigation was sensationally leaked to the media.
Senior government sources have confirmed that the Australian Federal Police and NSW premier Chris Minns was swiftly notified of the shock find by NSW Police that could have resulted in a “mass casualty event” around January 19-20, but did not inform the Prime Minister or his cabinet citing “operational reasons” until this week.
Despite the existing special investigations protocols that allow for police to brief the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and the national security committee of cabinet it appears this did not occur until The Daily Telegraph broke the story on Wednesday.
NSW Premier Chris Minns also didn’t alert the national cabinet about the threat despite learning days earlier there was a caravan packed with explosives, with NSW government sources suggesting it would have automatically leaked.
NSW police were first alerted to a caravan filled with explosives, anti-Semitic hate notes and the addresses of Jewish synagogues ten days ago.
But despite establishing a major investigation by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team, the Prime Minister, his Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and it appears the national security committee were all left completely in the dark.
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said on Sunrise that the Prime Minister increasingly appeared “out of his depth.”
“We want the Prime Minister to succeed on this, we really do. We have to succeed as a nation in bringing people together,’’ Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said on Sunrise.
“But look, I’m really worried that Anthony Albanese is out of his depth of national security and antisemitism and it appears he’s out of the loop too.
“He needs to answer questions about when he knew about this terrorist caravan. It was discovered before the firebombing of a childcare centre in Sydney when he and the Premier stood up at that childcare centre, surely the Prime Minister of this country should have known about a terrorist caravan and associated threats.
“And this morning, we read in the media that members of the National Security Committee of Cabinet only found out about this following the leak to the press. So what is going on here? Why is the Prime Minister so out of the loop when it comes to critical issues of national security?.”
Asked when they were told of the threat again on Friday, the Prime Minister’s office referred questions to the Australian Federal Police and the NSW Police.
Cops raid home, search for ‘masterminds’ behind plot
Meanwhile, police are reportedly looking for the “masterminds” behind the alleged terror plot after making a number of arrests “on the periphery” of the investigation.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the owner of the caravan was in custody for offences being investigated by Taskforce Pearl, which was established to investigate anti-Semitic attacks.
Couple Tammie Farrugia and Scott Marshall have also been arrested on the “periphery” of the investigation.
Ms Farrugia, who has been charged over an unrelated alleged anti-Semitic attack at Woollahra in December, and Mr Marshall, who has been charged with unrelated weapons and drug offences were reportedly named on an AFP search warrant during raids at a property in Dural last week.
A third person, Simon Lance Nichols, was also named on the search warrant, The Daily Telegraphreports.
Police are believed to be looking into whether Ms Farrugia and Mr Marshall have links to white supremacist groups or bikie gangs, according to the publication.
“One thing everyone is in agreement with is the two people charged would not have the money or the organisational skills on their own to acquire explosives, and pay cash for a caravan,” an unnamed source told the publication.
“We believe those two people may have ties to these groups, which does not mean they are involved, but it has to be explored.”
Security footage obtained by the ABC shows the couple’s Liverpool home being raided by police two days after the van was discovered.
The footage, captured by the doorbell camera of a neighbour, shows a number of officers, detectives and a sniffer dog attend the scene over the course of two hours.
Ms Farrugia and Mr Marshall have not been charged in relation to the caravan plot and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing.
Caravan’s deadly contents
It has now emerged the caravan was filled with explosives that could have caused an explosion reaching 40 metres wide.
The caravan was allegedly filled with mining gel explosives, lists of addresses of Jewish synagogues and a note saying “f**k the Jews”.
While the Prime Minister has refused to disclose when he was first informed, law enforcement authorities have confirmed that he was left in the dark until the story broke in the media on Wednesday.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said police were loath to reveal further detail, saying: “I don’t want to compromise that investigation any further.”
“The detectives are doing their job and they need to get on with doing their job without people wondering what is happening. We will brief the public when we have something material to say.”
Mr Minns said on Wednesday that the caravan could have caused a “mass casualty event”.
“There’s only one way of calling it out and that is terrorism,” he said.
But it appears that Mr Minns did not tell the Prime Minister either, citing NSW police requests to keep the investigation under wraps.
“Police made operational decisions to keep the public safe,” Mr Minns said when asked by Ben Fordham on 2GB why it took so long to tell the public.
“The counter-terrorism teams in NSW are the best in the land and they made the call.
“It was necessary to keep it quiet, but regrettably there was a media leak and we had to release the information ourselves.”
Alleged caravan plot targets
Sky News Australia host Sharri Markson has revealed the two intended targets of a suspected terror plot involving an explosive-laden caravan.
On Thursday night she reported The Great Synagogue as well as the Sydney Jewish Museum in Darlinghurst as the two targets.
“To think perpetrators would have potentially targeted a museum commemorating the Holocaust – a time when six million Jews were killed – is truly horrifying,” Markson said.
“This is a museum to educate the public, to educate future generations and to honour the memories of those lost and to make sure antisemitism never happens again.”
The Great Synagogue on Elizabeth Street in Sydney is more than 140 years old, having opened to the public in 1878.
ASIO terror warning
ASIO boss Mike Burgess says the terrorism threat level has not changed in the wake of the discovery of a caravan packed with explosives.
“ASIO is monitoring and, in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, investigating multiple anti-Semitic incidents in Australia,” he said.
“We have seen a disturbing escalation in the targeting of Jewish interests, and a disturbing escalation in the severity and recklessness of the targeting, with general harassment and intimidation moving to the targeting of people and places.
“These incidents are appalling, and particularly distressing for the Jewish community.
“While ASIO keeps the national terrorism threat level under constant review, I do not anticipate changing the threat level from PROBABLE in the immediate future.
“PROBABLE means probable – we assess there is a greater than 50% chance of a domestic terrorist attack or attack planning in the next 12 months.
“The current terrorism threat level is the same as it was at the height of the Islamic State caliphate.
“While the caravan matter in New South Wales remains under police investigation, ASIO does not believe there is an ongoing threat to public safety.
“I understand how distressing these incidents are, and want to assure members of the community ASIO is using the full range of its capabilities to assist multiple police investigations, including through the well-established structures of Joint Counter Terrorism Teams around the country.”
PM condemns alleged attack he wasn’t told about
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a statement “unequivocally” condemning the alleged plot on Wednesday.
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“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.
“The NSW Police have people in custody and continue with other agencies, including those involved in AFP Special Operation Avalite to investigate threats, violence and hatred towards the Australian Jewish community, and take action and hold people to account for crimes.
“Hate and extremism have no place in Australian society.”
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