Seven teens with alleged links to terror accused arrested following Wakeley Bishop stabbing
Counter-terrorism police have arrested seven minors with links to a teen accused of the stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel following extensive raids in southwest Sydney.
A snap meeting of the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team off the back of intelligence gained from the seizure of a device from the 16-year-old accused of stabbing an Assyrian Orthodox bishop last week led to heavily armed officers raiding 10 homes and arresting seven minors with alleged “violent extremist ideology” in one of the largest series of terrorism raids in recent times.
Police had a group of teenagers under “intense scrutiny and surveillance” prior to making the decision to raid the homes in southwest Sydney and Goulburn, with raids still proceeding late into Wednesday night, as western Sydney leaders say they were in the dark about the raids, which began at 11:15am on Wednesday.
The Australian can reveal terrorism charges are “on the table” for those arrested, with police believing they share a “violent extremist ideology” and that other non-terrorism related charges are also in scope.
Another five people, and parents of those arrested, are being questioned.
NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the JCTT, comprising NSW police, the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, and the NSW Crime Commission, met on Tuesday and determined there was “unacceptable risk and threats” to the public.
“We will allege that these individuals adhered to a religiously motivated violent extremist ideology. These investigations have been progressing since the incident,” he said. “The investigations include comprehensive surveillance activities and intensive scrutiny of these individuals.
“Our current, purely investigative strategies could not adequately ensure public safety,” Commissioner Hudson said.
“As a result, we determined we needed to escalate our activities and overt action was required.
“Meetings were held yesterday between partner agencies where evidence was reviewed and considered. It was considered the group … posed an unacceptable risk to the people of NSW, and our current purely investigative strategies could not adequately ensure public safety.”
More than 400 heavily armed police were involved in the raids of homes in the suburbs of Bankstown, Prestons, Casula, Lurnea, Rydalmere, Greenacre, Strathfield, Chester Hill, and Punchbowl, as well as a premises in Goulburn.
Police said most of targets were aged between 15 and 17 years old, and had been under “intense scrutiny and surveillance” since the alleged stabbing by the 16 year-old at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, but were arrested only after police determined the “risk (to the community) was too great”.
“As part of our JCTT investigation into the alleged Wakeley stabbing, we identified links between the alleged offender and a network of associates and peers who would believe shared a similar violent extremist ideology,” AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said. “The JCTT has acted swiftly to disrupt these individuals, and the investigation remains ongoing. At this time, we have no evidence of specific locations, times, or targets of a violent act.”
The 16-year-old was alleged to have stabbed Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and three others during a live-streamed service at Wakeley’s Christ the Good Shepherd Church, sparking a riot.
The 53-year-old religious leader suffered lacerations to his head and was rushed to hospital. Three other people were injured.
The Christ the Good Shepherd service was being live-streamed and police estimated a crowd of 2000 people swarmed the church after the stabbing, causing destruction to police vehicles. Two police officers were also injured and taken to hospital.
NSW police deemed the stabbing attack terror-related – the first since 2017 – and launched a joint counter-terrorism team to lead the investigation. The 16-year-old has been charged with committing a terrorist act under section 101.1 Criminal Code Act, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Since the riot, police have made multiple arrests under Strike Force Dribs, most recently charging a 17-year-old on Tuesday with several offences, including possessing a gun.
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