Authorities have freed seven individuals who were held amid concerns about a potential violent plot. The men presently face no charges.
NSW Police stated on Thursday that they conducted an operation in Sydney based on information suggesting a violent act might be in the planning stages. Police stopped two vehicles and took seven men into custody.
“Law enforcement responded swiftly to halt any potential plan. The community faces no immediate danger,” NSW Police stated, per the . “Authorities will persist in examining all evidence, and the inquiry is still active.”
Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson of NSW Police, who claimed Friday that the men shared the same ideological motivation as the alleged Bondi Beach attackers, justified the police approach as “most suitable for the situation,” the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
“Investigations require balancing acts for detectives and the , regarding whether to intervene at a moment that eliminates all risk and danger, which occurred yesterday, or to delay until compiling a polished evidence brief ready for court submission,” Hudson explained.
Certain reports suggested the men were en route from Melbourne to Bondi Beach, location of a fatal mass shooting during a Hanukkah event. Yet following the group’s release, one member dismissed these allegations when addressing media, per the (ABC).
“No, why would we visit that place? Too much trouble… it was too distant from our location anyway,” he stated.
Commissioner Mal Lanyon of NSW Police noted that the individuals, aged 19 to 24 and hailing from Victoria, would remain under surveillance while in New South Wales. Lanyon added that NSW Police would collaborate with their counterparts in Victoria.
Intelligence sources verified to the ABC that ASIO was investigating one member of the group.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan indicated that speculation about the group’s reasons for being in the area would be premature.
“Everyone has viewed the footage and images of the incident, and we appreciate [NSW police] for their rapid response,” she commented, per . “However, currently, insufficient information exists to guess why these individuals were traveling in this vehicle in this area.”
Australian media reported that one man attributed the incident to a “misunderstanding.” He added that the group informed police they were “visiting for vacation.”
“Officers were just doing their duty, I don’t fault them at all, it was simply a misunderstanding,” the man remarked. He also denied that the group possessed radical views.