Caravan terror plot fabricated, never posed threat: police

An explosive-laden caravan found in Sydney was part of a ‘fabricated terror plot’ which was contrived by organised criminals, police say, with 14 people arrested after raids on Monday.

Derriwong Rd in Dural, near where a caravan was found, which contained explosives and anti-Semitic material. Picture: Damian Shaw

An explosive-laden caravan found in Sydney was part of a “fabricated terror plot” which was contrived by organised criminals and never posed an actual threat, police have revealed.

AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett on Monday provided an update on the investigation into the Dural caravan which was found on January 19 stocked with mining explosives and seemingly set to target the Jewish Museum and Great Synagogue.

“Within hours of the caravan being found any perceived threat was mitigated,” Ms Barrett said.

“Almost immediately, experienced investigators within the joint counter-terrorism team believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorist plot, essentially a criminal con job. This was because of the information they already had, how easily the caravan was found and how visible the explosives were in the caravan. Also there was no detonator.

“Today, I can reveal the caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit.

“During our investigations we continue to receive tip offs about other terror plots related to this matter. Out of an abundance of caution it was agreed by all agencies the operation would remain in the joint counter-terrorism team. While we were confident these were fake we could not risk ignoring the information provided and we kept investigating.

Ms Barrett said police believe the plot was intended to cause fear. The investigation remains ongoing, and the organised crime group under investigation is known to police.

NSW Police on Monday arrested 14 people and pressed 49 charges in relation to anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney.

A joint release from NSW Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Cately said officers had been working “around the clock to get to the bottom of these crimes”.

“A huge amount of resources have been thrown at these investigations – the NSW Police Force stood up Strike Force Pearl to investigate hate crimes involving criminal activity and in January, police doubled the number of detectives attached to it,” the statement reads.

“There is no mistake that these acts have wrought fear and anxiety in our Jewish community and we will not tolerate this, not now, not ever.”

The ministers said police will allege those arrested “had criminal and financial motives”.

“But nobody should be in any doubt, we have endured a summer of hateful, vicious incidents such as vile anti-Semitic graffiti attacks and many of these appear to have been motivated simply by nasty, racist hatred,” the statement reads.

“We can never accept that.”

Police raid Sydney properties in caravan probe

Earlier on Monday, state and federal police raided a string of Sydney properties as part of investigations into organised crime links with an abandoned caravan laced with explosives and containing a list of Jewish “targets”.

Search warrants were carried out from dawn by officers attached to the NSW Police and Australian Federal Police, who continue to investigate the caravan discovery, which was found abandoned by the roadside in Dural, in northwest Sydney, in mid-January.

It was found packed with Powergel explosives – albeit some years old and with no detonator – and also with a list of sites associated with the Jewish community, including one of Sydney’s largest and most high-profile synagogues.

Police are probing whether the caravan was never intended to reach its “targets” and was instead dumped by criminals, either to induce fear or strike a deal to reduce a possible prison sentence.

By providing police with information about the caravan, for example, a criminal with knowledge of it could use that to negotiate down a sentence.

Detectives from Strike Force Pearl – the state police’s unit investigating hate crimes – were also involved in Monday’s raids, which were first reported by The Daily Telegraph.

Police allege the caravan had been placed there on December 7. It was discovered in mid-January when a nearby resident towed the caravan toward his property, believing it a hazard to road users.

The property in Dural where an unconnected resident towed the caravan toward before discovering its contents. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The man – who is in no way connected to the caravan or its contents – made the discovery and contacted police soon after.

Alongside the explosives, it contained a note with the addresses of The Great Synagogue and Sydney Jewish Museum, and also the words “f..k the Jews”.

It created a political storm for Anthony Albanese, who was not initially briefed on the caravan’s discovery by state police, unlike NSW Premier Chris Minns, who later defended not telling the Prime Minister when he himself was briefed on January 20.

Mr Albanese refused to elaborate on when he was exactly told, with the Coalition raising concerns both at that lack of briefing, and whether communication channels between state and federal police were working adequately.

Tammie Farrugia, her boyfriend, Scott Marshall, and his friend, Simon Nichols, have all been arrested on the “periphery” of the investigation.

Farrugia and Marshall are already behind bars after being arrested and charged for their role in an anti-Semitic vandalism attack in Woollahra late last year. Nichols was arrested in January on charges related to allegedly stealing cars and cloning plates.

Tammie Farrugia, left, and Scott Marshall.

Despite none being charged in relation to the caravan plot, each was named in full on AFP search warrants relating to the investigation.

The Australian revealed in February how the trio were accused in those search warrants of alleged acts “done in preparation for, or planning, terrorist acts” in early December.

None of the three have been charged with terrorism offences.

It comes as federal and state police, as well as national security agency ASIO, are attempting to uncover the identity of an unknown mastermind referred to as “James Bond” who was allegedly the puppetmaster pushing others to carry out a firebombing on a Bondi brewery they mistook for a Jewish deli with a similar name.

Police have previously suggested Farrugia and some of the others arrested over their alleged involvement in anti-Semitic attacks across the state did not appear to hold a “specific ideology” against Jewish people, and that the discovery of the explosives in a Viscount Grand Tourer caravan on the Dural roadside in northwest Sydney was “orchestrated” by as-yet unidentified ­figures.