As part of the ongoing investigation into the suspected terror attack in Wakeley, seven boys have been taken into custody in raids conducted today throughout south-west Sydney.
A 16-year-old boy is accused of stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, and NSW Police and Australian Federal Police have identified a “number of associates” of the kid; all of the suspected companions follow a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology”.
“We found connections between the accused criminal and a group of friends and colleagues who we think have similar violent extremist beliefs,” AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated.
“These people have been quickly disrupted by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), and the inquiry is still ongoing.
“We want to be very clear, we target radicalisation, not religion.”
Barrett stated that there was no proof of a particular target for a new act of violent terror.
In Bankstown, Prestons, Casula, Lurnea, Rydalmere, Greenacre, Strathfield, Chester Hill, Punchbowl, and Goulburn, thirteen search warrants were executed.
Seven male juveniles were arrested as a result of the raids, and five more AFP and NSW Police officers helped with the inquiries. Over 400 officers participated in the operations.
“It was considered that the group, subject of our attention, posed an unacceptable risk and threat to the people of NSW, and our current investigative strategies could not adequately ensure public safety,” Deputy Commander David Hudson stated.
“The action we have taken today has mitigated any risk of further harm.”
He added that the neighborhood is not under any continuous threat.
The public was advised by the AFP and NSW Police to report any suspicious activity to the national security hotline.
In the wake of the alleged terror incident in Wakeley, the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team has announced that it is conducting raids across Sydney today.
The raids were related to the incident at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley last week, which resulted in the hospitalization of a bishop and a priest after they were allegedly stabbed by a 16-year-old kid, ASIO Chief Mike Burgess revealed this morning.
“We are involved, it’s joint with the three agencies and the New South Wales Crime Commission in that state,” Burgess stated.
“My officers are integrated into the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team, as well as connected to it.”
“And on the back end, Australia’s security services are always doing its thing to provide security intelligence that enables the police to deal with these problems when we have immediate threats to life.”
Police stated that there is no risk to public safety and that the raids are unrelated to tomorrow’s commemorations of Anzac Day.
An previous statement from NSW Police stated, “The JCTT Sydney is executing search warrants in Sydney today as part of an ongoing investigation.”
“More information will be provided later today, but nothing further is available at this time.”
Members of the NSW Crime Commission, Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force, and Australian Security Intelligence Organization make up the NSW JCTT.
