SYDNEY: Australian police said seven people who posed an “unacceptable risk and threat” to the public have been arrested after anti-terror raids that involved more than 400 officers on Wednesday (Apr 24).
Police said the individuals were linked to a 16-year-old accused of stabbing an Assyrian Bishop in Sydney and adhered to a “religiously motivated extremist ideology”.
Deputy police commissioner Dave Hudson said it was “likely” the group could be plotting an attack, although no specific target was evident.
“Their behaviour, whilst under surveillance, led us to believe that, if they were to commit any act, we would not be able to prevent that,” he told reporters.
“And we believed, through the investigation, that it was likely that an attack might ensue.”
Police said all the offenders were juveniles.
