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| Down Under | |
| Mass Counter-Terror Raids In Australia | |
| 2014-09-18 | |
| [DailyTelegraphAustralia] o Massive pre-dawn operation in Sydney and Brisbane involving 600 officers o ASIO and counter-terrorism operation swooped on homes in north-western Sydney and Brisbane o Several arrests made as raids continue ASIO and counter terrorism police have swooped on homes across north-western Sydney and other states this morning in what is believed to be the largest anti-terrorism bust in the nation's history. Several arrests have reportedly been made in the secret pre-dawn raid, which is still in progress. The arrests follow the execution of a number of search warrants in Beecroft, Bellavista, Guildford, Merrylands, Northmead, Wentworthville, Marsfield, Westmead, Castle Hill, Revesby, Bass Hill and Regents Park. The Australian Federal Police can also confirm it is conducting search warrants in Brisbane. Warrants are being executed in the suburbs of Mount Gravatt East, Logan and Underwood. As this activity remains ongoing, it is not appropriate to comment further at this time. Further updates will be provided in due course. The raid is believed to have been mounted following months of surveillance of people linked to the terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The Daily Telegraph has learned that an estimated 600 officers from the Australian Federal Police, NSW counter terrorism unit and ASIO launched the pre-emptive strike in the early hours of this morning. The raids and arrests are believed to have been based on the execution of multiple ASIO and AFP warrants. It is believed that dozens of suspects have been netted, with links to a Brisbane man who was recently arrested on suspected terrorism related charges. It is believed that a terrorist network had been planning to carry out a series of attacks in Australia. The raid follows the lifting of the national security alert level from medium to high last Friday by the outgoing director general of ASIO David Irvine. It is believed the size of the raid eclipsed that of Operation Pendennis in 2005 when several hundred ASIO, AFP and NSW police arrested 13 men across Melbourne and the Sydney suburb of Bankstown, who had been planning bomb attacks in both capitals.
Sydney terror accused Omarjan Azari was allegedly working with Australia's most senior ISIL member and Underbelly actor Mohammad Baryalei to commit acts of terror, police have said. Mr Azari faced Central Local Court today charged with serious terrorism-related offences. 9NEWS understands Mr Azari is accused of plotting to abduct people off the streets and decapitate them in a manner similar to the recent ISIL beheadings of US and UK citizens in Syria. Mr Azari allegedly intended to wrap the bodies of victims in ISIL flags and upload video of the murders online. The video would help fuel the ISIL terror campaign which has led to the formation of an international coalition to eliminate the group. Court documents showed police have accused Mr Azari of working with Baryalei, Fairfax Media has reported. Baryalei, 33, is believed by authorities to be a senior ISIL member who recruited at least half of the Australians fighting with the terrorist group in Iraq and Syria. He was a former bouncer and played a paramedic on Underbelly: The Golden Mile. Police said raids across Sydney this morning thwarted a plan to commit violence against "a member of the public on the streets". Fifteen people were detained after over 800 police officers searched 15 homes and 10 cars in north-western Sydney, in a joint AFP and NSW Police counter-terrorism operation called "Operation Appleby". Azari was the first person to be charged following the raids. He did not apply for bail today and will remain in custody until the case returns to court in November. A second man has since been charged with weapons offences. Prime Minister Tony Abbott said it's believed an Australian senior ISIL member overseas was ordering networks back in Australia to conduct "demonstration killings". Police raids this morning were also carried out in suburbs in and around Brisbane but police said they weren't directly linked to the operation in Sydney. AFP Acting Chief Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the operation was following up on an investigation from last week. He said they were still working to determine links between the Brisbane and Sydney raids. Last week, Brisbane man Omar Succarieh, 31, was arrested and charged with terrorism-related offences following a raid at an Islamic bookshop in Logan. He's accused of fundraising for Syria-based extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra and helping another man, Agim Kruezi, obtain funds to fight for a terror organisation overseas. Mr Succarieh, who is due to apply for bail in court today, is believed to be the brother of Ahmed Succarieh, who reportedly became Australia's first suicide bomber in Syria last year. Logan man Kruezi, 22, has alleged links to the Islamic State group. Yesterday, a Lakemba money transfer business owned by the sister and brother-in-law of convicted Sydney terrorist Khaled Sharrouf was shut down. Authorities suspected it was sending millions of dollars to the Middle East to finance terrorism. There are about 60 Australians believed to be fighting in Iraq and Syria with groups such as Islamic State, while another 100 are suspected of providing support from Australia. Mr Abbott lifted the country's terror alert to high last Friday. Today he praised Australian police and security forces who he said were "one step ahead of those who would do us harm". | |
| Posted by:Northern |
| #4 Australia had better re-think the firearms thing in Australia. Some years ago, firearms were outlawed, confiscated and the citizens were disarmed. That turned out to be a very bad idea. They need something like our 2nd Amendment so that citizens have a even chance against wannabee beheaders and thugs. Moreover, it is the last defense against a tyrannical government. Enough politeness already with these jihadists SOBs. Should a citizen blows a couple of these jihadist a$$holes away in self defense, other jihadists might have second thoughts about their evil. Additionally, the world would be fewer a couple of jihadists. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2014-09-18 17:24 |
| #3 Insh'allah! |
| Posted by: borgboy 2014-09-18 17:11 |
| #2 And Muslims are protesting. Not the plot, but the raids. |
| Posted by: Rob Crawford 2014-09-18 07:37 |
| #1 I wonder if they found the rockets they were looking for... |
| Posted by: ed in texas 2014-09-18 07:34 |