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.
Ali Khalif Shire Ali, 20, who was arrested on a street in Werribee on Monday afternoon, was allegedly planning to shoot and kill as many people as he could.
Ali has been charged with preparing between March and April to commit a terrorist attack. He is also accused of collecting documents in June to facilitate a terrorist attack. He did not apply for bail in the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday and is due to reappear via video link for a committal mention on March 13.
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.
Ali 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.’’
Ali lives with his parents and siblings at the family home in Werribee. That property is still being searched by police.
The accused 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 extremists 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 accused was acting alone and no threats were ongoing. ‘‘We are not looking for any other suspects,’’ he said.
Authorities were still investigating how Ali became radicalised, Patton said. Police do not believe he is linked to any mosques in Melbourne. They would not reveal if his family or friends knew of his intentions.
Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police and the ASIO were involved in the investigation that resulted in the 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. 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.