Terror arrests in Sydney over ‘plot to blow up plane’
FOUR men were being quizzed yesterday after anti-terror police foiled an alleged Islamic State plot to blow up a passenger jet.
The suspects were arrested in Sydney in armed raids after an intelligence tip-off that they planned to target a jet with an improvised bomb.
Police described the alleged plot as “credible and elaborate”.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said: “We do believe it is Islamist-inspired terrorism.
Target
“At this time, we don’t have a great deal of information on the specific attack, the location, date or time. However, we are investigating information indicating that the aviation industry was potentially a target.”
Mr Colvin declined to say if any fully-constructed explosive devices had been found in Saturday’s raids at five addresses in the suburbs of Surry Hills, Lakemba, Punchbowl and Wiley Park. But he added: “We have found a number of items that are of great interest.”
Asked if any of the suspects was on a terrorist watch list, Mr Colvin replied: “That’s sensitive information.”
Australia’s Channel Seven news reported that a suspicious device had been found at a Surry Hills address. Footage showed a man, his head bandaged, being led away. Neighbours said the occupants of the house were “perfectly nice and normal”.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull later hinted that the foiled plot did not fall into the category of a lone wolf attack.
“We face a range of terrorist threats, some of them are lone actors, who activate very quickly, with very little warning. On other occasions, you get quite elaborate conspiracies. This appears to be in that category.”
Extra security has now reportedly been put in place at all Australian airports.