Extremist Muslims working with police

About 20 suspected Muslim ­extremists working with counter-terrorism authorities as part of deradicalisation program.

About 20 suspected Muslim ­extremists are working with NSW counter-terrorism authorities as part of a highly sensitive and ­secretive deradicalisation program aimed at preventing terrorist attacks.

The Weekend Australian can ­reveal the program, being run by the NSW Police Force and Victoria Police with federal authorities, has been operating since February, spurred by a string of local terror attacks.

Australia’s response is being spearheaded by the National Disruption Group, a multi-agency taskforce in Canberra chaired by the Australian Federal Police.

ASIO, state and territory police services, the Australian Crime Commission and an array of ­bureaucracies are also members of the group, which acts as a clearing house for deradicalisation ­candidates.

The group’s main task is ­­­­“de-confliction”, ensuring potential candidates are not the subject of active investigations by law ­enforcement or intelligence agencies. Once a candidate is cleared by the Disruption Group and a threat assessment has been carried out to ensure they are not a risk to the community, they are referred to state authorities.

NSW police have just over 20 ­extremists, suspected extremists, or in some cases reformed extremists on the books. They include teenagers stopped at airports on their way to Syria, so-called “jihadi brides” and at least one Sydney teenager caught by ASIO associating with Islamist radicals online.

“It’s a cross-section of people,’’ said NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn. “Not necessarily all youth, either.’’

A similar program is being run in Victoria, and while the numbers are unclear, the figures are likely to be similar to NSW, meaning up to 40 suspected extremists may be in deradicalisation programs across the country.

The program uses a range of techniques — from psychological counselling, to mentoring, to ­religious instruction and employment training — to steer vulnerable young Muslims away from extremism.

It is understood that almost all of the candidates being considered by NSW have been referred by other law enforcement or intelligence services, often after they have been deemed of no immediate interest to counter-terrorism detectives.

No referrals have yet come from the schools or the community, although authorities say that will almost certainly change as the program matures.

The push reflects an acceptance by authorities that the terror problem in Australia cannot be ­defeated by law enforcement alone. Those targeted by the ­deradicalisation programs are often on the fringe of groups under ­investigation but they drop off the deradicalisation target list if they come under active investigation by the authorities.