400 police in anti-terror raids
From: AAP By Paul Colgan and AAP
November 08, 2005
Arrests ... Raids have occurred in Sydney and Melbourne / File. UP to 15 people were arrested in raids involving some 400 officers in Sydney and Melbourne this morning in an operation police said "disrupted ... the final stages of a large scale terrorist attack".
New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney said at least six people had been arrested in Sydney who were "proposing to conduct a terror attack in Australia".
A further nine people have been arrested in Victoria.
Some are reported to have links to an outlawed terrorist organisation.
The raids are still being carried out and involve searches of properties in Australia's two largest cities.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Christine Nixon said the nine arrested in Melbourne would appear in court this morning.
Addresses at Preston, Dallas, Hoppers Crossing, Fawkner, Hadfield, Coburg, Yarraville and Meadow Heights were raided, Ms Nixon said on ABC radio this morning.
"They have been charged with a range of offences, both state and federal offences," she said. "At this stage the matters we're talking to them about were not related to threats to the Commonwealth Games." Melbourne will host the 2006 Commonwealth Games next March.
A home in Wiley Park in Sydney's south-west has also been been named as the target of one of the raids.
Some 400 officers, combining Australian Federal Police agents and the state police forces in NSW and Victoria, were reportedly involved.
Mr Moroney said some 15 homes were targeted and the six Sydney suspects would appear in court today.
The terrorist supects had been planning their attack for 18 months, Mr Moroney said.
The swoop follows changes to the law that were rushed through Parliament last week by the Federal Government.
Prime Minister John Howard said the changes were needed to help police avert a terrorist attack.
"A number of search warrants are currently being executed in Sydney and Melbourne as part of a joint operation by the AFP, New South Wales Police and Victoria Police," an AFP spokeswoman said.
"These warrants relate to an ongoing investigation and as a result it would be inappropriate to make any further comment at this time.
"Maintaining operational security is paramount at this stage.
"We can confirm that the ongoing operation relates to the area of counter-terrorism."
The raids follow Mr Howard's announcement last week that of a "serious" terrorist threat, which necessitated the urgent legal amendment.
The Australian reported the threat was linked to a group of Melbourne men who were spotted filming possible targets.
The Government recalled the Senate for a special sitting last week to pass one measure which widened the scope for authorities to arrest terrorist suspects.
Labor, the Australian Democrats and the Australian Greens have accused the government of playing politics with national security and trying to scare Australians.
But Mr Howard last night rejected the claims, saying he announced the changes to anti-terror laws because they were in the national interest.
Can't say much more than suck s**t to those caught and prosicuted, well done to the police force!
Makes you angry to see people would resort to this low life crap!
We live in very interesting times.
and I normally don't believe in capital punishment
