Man accused of plotting New Year attack
AUSTRALIA: A man has been arrested after allegedly planning to carry out a terrorist attack with an automatic rifle at Melbourne’s Federation Square on New Year’s Eve this year.
The 20-year-old man, who was arrested on a street in Werribee on Monday afternoon, was allegedly planning to shoot and kill as many people as he could in Federation Square.
Victoria Police deputy commissioner Shane Patton said the Australian-born Muslim with Somalian parents sought to purchase, but did not acquire, an automatic weapon to carry out the attack, which could have had ‘‘horrendous’’ consequences.
The young man allegedly tried to buy an automatic firearm through ‘‘face to face interactions’’ but was ultimately unsuccessful, Patton said yesterday.
‘‘We have been monitoring him for a very lengthy period of time,’’ Patton said.
The man lives with his parents and siblings at the family home in Werribee. That property is still being searched by police.
The young man was in possession of an al Qaeda guidebook on how to carry out terrorism attacks and is an Islamic State sympathiser, police allege.
‘‘He has accessed documents produced by al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula ... a guidebook in respect to how to commit a terrorist act and also how to use firearms, guns and handguns and rifles,’’ Patton said.
‘‘He is associated with other persons in the Victorian ex- tremists community ... it is a very small community of extremists.
‘‘The potential of the attack is catastrophic. This is a person who has expressed an intention to try and kill as many people as he could. It’s horrendous.
‘‘This is a person who would become particularly energised when overseas events occurred. He expressed a great amount of interest in committing an attack himself.’’
Patton reassured the community that the man was acting alone and no threats were ongoing. ‘‘We are not looking for any other suspects,’’ he said.
Authorities were still investigating how the man became radicalised, Patton said.
Police do not believe he is linked to any mosques in Mel- bourne. They would not reveal if his family or friends knew of his intentions.
The man was born in Australia, and this is his first time in custody. He is expected to be charged with engaging in acts in preparation for a terrorist offence and collecting documents to facilitate a terrorist act.
Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police and the ASIO were involved in the investigation that resulted in the man’s arrest.
Victorian Police Minister Lisa Neville said police were continuing their investigation but had foiled another threat.
‘‘Police were aware of this very early and had been monitoring [the man],’’ she said. ‘‘There was never any point in which there was a significant risk.’’
Neville said Victorians should be confident to make plans for New Year’s Eve. ‘‘There is no ongoing risk to the Victorian community.’’
An estimated 450,000 people flock to Melbourne’s CBD to ring in the new year in the city. Security has been ramped up in recent years, particularly last year, after police foiled a Christmas Day terror plot.
Hundreds of uniformed police swarmed the city last New Year’s Eve, particularly near St Paul’s Cathedral and Flinders Street Station, which were both targets of the Christmas terror plot. Specialised squads, including Water Police, Mounted Branch, Operations Response Unit and Air Wing, were deployed across the state. – Fairfax