Melbourne terrorist plot: Four charged, one in custody over alleged Christmas Day attack plan

Updated

Police have disrupted a terrorist plot to detonate improvised explosive devices at locations in central Melbourne, possibly on Christmas Day, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

Key points: Police believe plot involved use of explosives and other weapons and could have been planned for Christmas Day

High profile locations including Federation Square and Flinders Street Station were targeted, police say

Five people arrested still in custody and are being questioned by police

Seven people were arrested during overnight raids on Thursday at properties in Flemington, Meadow Heights and Dallas in Melbourne over the alleged plot, which police said was inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group.

Abdullah Chaarani 26 of Dallas, 21-year-old Hamza Abbas of Flemington and 24-year-old Ahmed Mohamad of Meadow Heights have been charged with planning a terrorist attack.

The trio appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court and were taken into custody and will return in April.

A 22-year-old man from Broadmeadows was charged with the same offence hours later. He is due to appear in court this morning.

A 20-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man, both from Meadow Heights, and 21-year-old man from Gladstone Park, were released without charge.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described the plot as an "act of evil", while Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said police had seized "the makings of an improvised explosive device".

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mr Turnbull said: "Overnight our police and security agencies have disrupted a very substantial terrorist plot.

"Overnight, the Victoria Police, working with the Australian Federal Police and ASIO, have arrested seven persons, five of whom are still in custody, searched five premises and are continuing to search them.

Who was arrested? A 24-year-old man from Meadow Heights

A 26-year-old man from Dallas

A 22-year-old man from Campbellfield

A 21-year-old man from Flemington

A 21-year-old man from Gladstone Park

A 20-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man, both from Meadow Heights, have been released without charge Source: Victoria Police Source: Victoria Police

"What they have uncovered is a plot to explode improvised explosive devices in central Melbourne in the area of Federation Square, on or about Christmas Day.

"This is one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years."

The raids were part of a counter-terrorism operation involving Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO.

Federation Square, Flinders Street Station possible targets

Commissioner Ashton said it was believed a number of people were intending to carry out an attack involving explosives and other weapons.

"Over the last fortnight … we have had to conduct a criminal investigation relating to the formation of what we believe was a terrorist plot," he said.

"We believe that there was an intention to conduct what we call a multi-mode attack, possibly on Christmas Day.

Police believe the locations to be targeted include Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, and St Paul's Cathedral.

Commissioner Ashton said: "We believe [the plot] was going to involve an explosive event, the use of explosives, and we gathered evidence to support that.

"There has also been evidence that we will lead around the possibility of an intention to use other weapons. That could include knives and/or a firearm.

"Certainly these [people] are self-radicalised, we believe, but inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda."

Sorry, this video has expired Video: Seven arrested in connection with alleged Christmas Day terrorist plot (ABC News)

Commissioner Ashton said four of the five were Australian-born with a Lebanese background.

"There is another suspect in this matter who will be charged that was an Egyptian-born Australian citizen. All the others were Australian-born," he said.

While Premier Andrews said the planned attack was not an act of faith, One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson said the raids demonstrated why there should be a ban on Muslim immigration to Australia.

"You're not welcome here. Go and find some other place that suits your needs, your customs, your way of life and your faith," she said.

Premier Andrews said there would be an increased police presence at large gatherings in Victoria over the Christmas period.

"This is not an act of faith. What was being planned, what will be led in evidence, what the police will allege, was not an act of faith, not an act of religious observance, it was, instead, in its planning, an act of evil, a criminal act," he said.

Commissioner Ashton said he spoke to Cricket Australia about providing additional security at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test, which starts on Monday.

Topics: police, law-crime-and-justice, flemington-3031, vic, melbourne-3000, australia

First posted</s>Police in Melbourne searching a house after in the suburbs after learning of the plot.

Police in Melbourne yesterday foiled a terrorist plot to detonate bombs at landmark sites in the city centre on Christmas Day.

Seven suspects, including a woman, were arrested in various suburbs, but the woman and two men were later released.

The remaining men, whom police said were inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS) group, have been charged with planning a terrorist attack.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the detained men had planned to use explosives, knives and guns to attack busy locations including Melbourne's Flinders Street train station, Federation Square and St Paul's Cathedral in the Australian state of Victoria.

"Over the last fortnight... we have had to conduct a criminal investigation relating to the formation of what we believe was a terrorist plot," he told a press conference.

"We believe that there was an intention to conduct what we call a multi-mode attack, possibly on Christmas Day.

Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews said there will be extra police on the streets of Melbourne on Christmas Day to make the public feel safe.

Commissioner Ashton said of the accused, who are either Australian-born or citizens in their 20s: "Certainly, these are self-radicalised, we believe, but inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda.

"If this had got under our guard, this would have been a significant attack, we believe. No doubt about that."

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull also weighed in on the plot, calling it "one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years".

"We will continue to go about our lives as we always have. What these criminals seek to do is to kill. But they also seek to frighten us, to cow us into abandoning our Australian way of life," Mr Turnbull was quoted as saying.

"They want to frighten Australians. They want to divide Australians. They want us to turn on each other. We will not let them succeed."

A Singaporean student in Melbourne, Miss Melanie Ho, who lives near the targeted areas, was speechless when The New Paper told her about the planned attack about five hours after the news broke.

The 20-year-old University of Melbourne student said: "I'm not sure how to react, I'm speechless. This is so scary."

Miss Ho, who has been in Melbourne for six months, describes the city as "very safe".

"It's always been safe here. Melbourne is one of the most liveable cities and I've never had any reason to be afraid till now," she said.

In its Safe Cities Index last year, Britain's The Economist named Melbourne as the ninth safest city out of 50 cities, based on factors like regional representation and availability of data.

Thousands of locals and tourists visit Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral, which are located near the junction of Flinders Street and St Kilda Road, daily..

Miss Grace Tan, who is also studying at the University of Melbourne, said that while she is concerned, she plans to carry on with her daily activities.

"The news that Melbourne is one of the targets does unsettle me, but life goes on.

"I still have to go to school and do my essays," said Miss Tan, who has been in Melbourne for two years.

But Miss Ho is not taking any chances.

She had planned to celebrate Christmas by having a picnic with friends in a nearby park, but she has since shelved her plans.

"I'll no longer be going out during Christmas. I'll probably stay in till I feel a bit safer," she said.

"It's better to be safe than sorry."</s>Australian police have foiled a major terror attack in Melbourne on Christmas Day, officials say.

Three men detained in early morning raids on Friday are facing terror charges. Three other people were held but later released.

The plot involved the use of explosives and other weapons, police say.

The alleged targets included high-profile locations around Melbourne, such as St Paul’s Cathedral, Federation Square and the main train station.

Six men and a woman were detained in Friday’s raid on suspicion of “preparing or planning a terrorist attack”, police say.

The woman and two men were later released.

Three other men, named as Hamza Abbas, 21, Ahmed Mohamed, 24, and Abdullah Chaarani, 26, did not enter pleas and are due to appear in court in April. Another man remains in custody.

Victoria State police chief Graham Ashton said that following Friday’s arrests, there was no longer a threat to the public.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the plot was one of the most substantial that has been disrupted in recent years.

“They want to frighten Australians, they want to divide Australians, they want us to turn on each other, but we will not let them,” he said.

Four of the initial suspects were Australian-born and of a Lebanese origin, while the fifth was an Australian of Egyptian origin, Mr Ashton told reporters.

Those being held had been “self-radicalised” but inspired by propaganda of the so-called Islamic State (IS), he said.

Mr Ashton said the raids on five locations in Melbourne’s north and west came after weeks of police surveillance.

“We believe that there was an intention to conduct what we call a multi-mode attack, possibly on Christmas Day,” he said.

Melbourne’s Flinders St Station, Federation Square and St Paul’s Cathedral occupy three corners of what is arguably the city’s most iconic intersection.

The area is only a short distance from the Melbourne Cricket Ground where up to 100,000 people are expected to attend the Boxing Day Test between Australia and Pakistan.

The operation included 400 officers from Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police. The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation was also involved.</s>Ben185/iStock/Thinkstock(MELBOURNE, Australia) — Police in Australia say that they have foiled a terror attack that would have targeted the city of Melbourne, possibly on Christmas Day.

Seven people were arrested and five are still being questioned, Victoria police said in a Friday morning press conference. The attack is believed to have involved explosives and possibly other types of weapons and would have targeted a public area in the heart of Melbourne.

According to police, four of the five people being questioned are Australian-born and of Lebanese origin, while the fifth is an Egyptian-born Australian citizen. All five were believed to have been self-radicalized by ISIS propaganda.

The individuals involved were persons of interest for some time, police said, and that in the last few weeks, the situation had accelerated to an investigation of the possible formation of a terror plot.

Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews called such threats “very real” across the city and state, and called the plot “evil.” He urged Victorians to go about their business, but to be aware of their surroundings.</s>Police have confirmed arresting five people on suspicion over their involvement in Melbourne Christmas Day terror planning.

According to reports, officers foiled the expected “multi-mode” terror attack concerning a blast in Melbourne this festive season. The detention came following early-morning raids conducted by the officers on Friday. Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said that the Melbourne Christmas Day terror suspects are believed to have been inspired by the IS planned serial attacks on Flinders Street train station and nearby Federation Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The police made an arrest only after observing a threat during the Christmas season following a truck smashíng into a Christmas market on Monday in Berlin that killed 12 people. Seven people were arrested earlier in a two-day raid conducted on Thursday night and Friday morning. However, two of them, a man, 26, and a woman, 20, were released without being charged with any offence.

Melbourne Christmas Day Terror Attack: No More Threats to Public

Police’s statement also confirmed that the five are still detained and that they belong to the age group between 21 and 26. Although other details about the suspects have not been identified yet, the officers said that four of them were born in Australia and had Lebanese background while one of them was Egypt-born with dual citizenship from Egypt and Australia.

Ashton said that the Melbourne Christmas Day terror indicated the intensive use of explosives and other weapons like knives and firearms. Victoria police stated that the location prone to the attacks included Flinders Street Station, St Paul’s Cathedral and Federation Square. However, the officers claimed the attack has been foiled and there is no threat to the public anymore.

Ashton further believed that the detainees were “self-radicalized”. On the other hand, according to ABC News, Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews said that the department will deploy extra police force on Melbourne streets to make the public feel safe and secure on Christmas Day.</s>Seven arrested as police foil planned Christmas Day terror attack in Melbourne – The Sydney Morning Herald

Comments Off on Seven arrested as police foil planned Christmas Day terror attack in Melbourne – The Sydney Morning Herald</s>Australian police said on Friday they had foiled a plot to attack prominent sites in the city of Melbourne with a series of bombs on Christmas Day that authorities described as “an imminent terrorist event” inspired by Islamic State. Six men and a woman, all in their twenties, were arrested in dawn raids across Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city, Victoria state police said in a statement.

“This is a significant disruption of what we would describe as an imminent terrorist event in Melbourne,” Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin told reporters in Sydney. “We do believe … that we have removed this threat in its entirety,” Colvin said.

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Two of those arrested were released without charge but at least four of those still in custody would likely face court on Friday, the police statement said.

Victorian police chief Graham Ashton said the plot was inspired by the Islamic State militant group. The plot targeted high-profile locations in Melbourne, including Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul’s Cathedral “possibly on Christmas Day”.

Several teenagers have been arrested in Australia in recent years and charged with terror-related offences, including five young men who police alleged were planning an attack at last year’s centenary ANZAC Day commemorations.</s>Police in Australia have arrested a group of Islamic radicals believed to be planning an “evil” terrorist attack at numerous landmarks in the centre of Melbourne, possibly on Christmas Day.

The plotters are believed to have included six men and one woman, all in their 20s, who allegedly planned to plant bombs and use knives and firearms to launch a “multi-node” attack at Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral, some of the best-known and busiest sites in the city.

Five people remain in custody, including four Australian-born men – some of whom had a Lebanese background - and an Egyptian-born Australian man.

Several of the alleged attackers have been seen conducting reconnaissance at Federation Square, a popular meeting place and tourist landmark in the city centre.</s>Police in Australia have detained five men suspected of planning a series of Christmas Day bomb attacks in the heart of the country’s second-largest city, officials said Friday.

The suspects had been inspired by the Islamic State group and planned attacks on Melbourne’s Flinders Street train station, neighbouring Federation Square and St. Paul’s Cathedral, Victoria state Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said.

The arrests came after a truck smashed into a Christmas market in Berlin on Monday, killing 12 people. A manhunt is underway for the person behind that attack, which prompted increases in security around the world.

Two of seven people initially arrested in raids Thursday night and Friday morning in Melbourne — a 26-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman — were released without being charged, police said.

Five men between the ages 21 and 26 remained in custody and would be charged later Friday with preparing a terrorist attack. They were not identified but police said four were born in Australia and the fifth was Egyptian-born with Egyptian and Australian citizenship.

Police had been watching the alleged plotters for some time, and believed they were preparing to use explosives, knives and a gun, Ashton said.

Police believed the threat had been neutralized through the raids on five Melbourne premises, he said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said: “This is one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years.”

“Islamist terrorism is a global challenge that affects us all. But we must not be cowed by the terrorists,” Turnbull told reporter.

“We will continue to go about our lives as we always have. What these criminals seek to do is to kill. But they also seek to frighten us, to cow us into abandoning our Australian way of life. They want to frighten Australians. They want to divide Australians. They want us to turn on each other. We will not let them succeed,” he added.

Since Australia’s terrorist threat level was elevated in September 2014, the government says there have been four extremist attacks and 12 plots foiled by police.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said the plotters had moved very quickly from a plan to develop a capability to attack.

“In terms of events that we have seen over the past few years in Australia, this certainly concerns me more than any other event that I’ve seen,” Colvin said.

“We believe that we have removed the bulk of this particular cell, this group,” he said.

Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said there will be extra police on the streets of Melbourne on Christmas Day to make the public feel safe.

About 400 police officers were involved in the raids.

Ashton described those arrested as “self-radicalized” and inspired by Islamic State propaganda.</s>Australian police arrested five men overnight, foiling an alleged terror plot planned for Melbourne on Christmas Day, officials announced Friday morning at a press conference. The suspects reportedly planned to attack areas in the center of the city, including Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, and St. Paul's Cathedral. The plot "involved explosives and possibly knives or guns," ABC News reported.

The arrests were made in overnight raids, during which police say they uncovered the "makings of an improvised explosive device." The five suspects, all Australian citizens, are between the ages of 21 and 26; four of the five men were born in Australia, and one was born in Egypt. Investigators said the suspects were "self-radicalized but certainly inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda."

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called it "one of the most substantial terrorist plots that have been disrupted over the last several years." Becca Stanek
Australian police raid several Melbourne properties and arrest seven Arab Australian men, who were believed to be plotting a terrorist attack on several sites in Melbourne for Christmas Day.