The investigation into a caravan found loaded with explosives in a suspected terror plot against Sydney’s Jewish community has spread to Queensland.
Queensland Police have confirmed that they are supporting the multi-agency probe that began in NSW when the caravan was first discovered on January 19.
‘The Queensland Police Service, Security and Counter Terrorism Command remains engaged and supporting the New South Wales investigation with all necessary resources,’ a spokesperson told 7News.
It comes as authorities step up their protection of the Jewish community in Sydney, with police now patrolling student drop-offs and pick-ups at all Jewish schools.
Authorities have been criticised for keeping the public, and politicians, in the dark about their discovery of the explosives-laden caravan at a rural property in Dural.
The explosives had the potential to create a blast radius of 40metres and cause mass casualties.
It wasn’t until 10 days later, on Wednesday, that the media revealed the finding after a leak from police.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday became agitated while speaking to reporters refused to say when he had first been told about the caravan.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Friday became agitated while speaking to reporters refused to say when he had first been told about the caravan
Police discovered a caravan loaded with explosives at a rural property in Dural (pictured) on January 19 and launched a multi-agency investigation
‘What’s correct protocol is making sure that we don’t speak about operational matters,’ Mr Albanese told reporters.
‘This should not be the source of political debate, and that I note that the Coalition have said, as well, that they wouldn’t change the protocols that have been in place for a long period of time.
‘The idea that you make public pronouncements about something that is an ongoing investigation is, of course, entirely inappropriate because as the police have made very clear, both state and federal, the priority is those ongoing investigations.’
NSW Premier Chris Minns was made aware of the discovery one day after the fact, on January 20.
Police are still hunting for the ringleaders who may have recruited two people in the suspected anti-Semitic terror plot.
Tammie Farrugia and her boyfriend Scott Marshall are in custody charged with unrelated offences, with police saying their arrests were made on the ‘periphery’ of the case.
The couple had posted on Facebook last month seeking a caravan.
Farrugia and Marshall have not been charged in relation to the caravan and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing. But it’s understood terrorism police are probing whether the couple have ties to bikie gangs or white supremacist groups.
Farrugia and Marshall (pictured) have not been charged in relation to the caravan and there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing
Farrugia was arrested over an alleged anti-Semitic attack at Woollahra, in Sydney’s east, in December, while Marshall was charged late last year with weapons and drug offences to which he has pleaded not guilty.
They do not appear to have any history of extremist ideology, which might support Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw’s warning that overseas actors could be paying petty criminals to carry out anti-Semitic attacks.
‘We are looking at if – or how – they have been paid, for example in cryptocurrency, which can take longer to identify,’ Mr Kershaw said earlier this month.
But it’s unclear who the foreign actors could be or why they would sponsor such attacks.
