The carload of Victorian men rammed by heavily armed tactical police while travelling to Bondi Beach held the same Islamic extremist beliefs as Sunday’s shooters, NSW Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson has alleged, as he expects charges to be levelled against some of those arrested over fears they were preparing another violent attack in Sydney.
The seven men were driving in two hatchbacks with Victorian plates when they were intercepted in Liverpool in the city’s south-west on Thursday afternoon.
The tactical operations police dressed in camouflage and drawing heavy weapons pulled five men from one car at the intersection of George Street and Campbell Street, handcuffing them with zip ties. A second hatchback was intercepted a few blocks away, and two men were arrested.
When asked if the men were inspired by Islamic State ideology, as alleged Bondi terrorists Sajid and Naveed Akram were, Hudson said “that’s our belief at this stage”.
“I think the ideology that we’re talking about very much increases our perceptions of threat and risk in relation to this environment,” Hudson told ABC Radio Sydney on Friday.
“We were in receipt of certain information from our Victorian counterparts, and we’re continually in contact with our Victorian Police counterparts, where these individual individuals emanate from.”
The group remain in custody under a Commonwealth detention warrant, which will expire at 7.30pm on Friday. Hudson expects charges to be laid against some of the individuals in the group, while others could walk free.
“Ultimately, it’s a balance when you investigate, for investigators and for the counterterrorism police, as to interdicting at a point in time where you mitigate all risk and threat, which you did yesterday, or waiting until you can get a brief of evidence against individuals with a bow on it that you can present to court,” Hudson said.
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