SYDNEY, Australia (Reuters) –Australian counter-terror officers arrested a 40-year-old man at Sydney Airport, after he disembarked from a flight from London on Thursday (29 December), and charged him with making online threats “relating to New Year’s Eve” festivities in Sydney, police said on Friday (30 December).
The arrest follows police raids across the southern city of Melbourne a week ago, which authorities said foiled an Islamic State-inspired plot to attack prominent sites in the city on Christmas Eve.
Damien O’Neil was arrested late on Thursday and refused bail by a court on Friday.
He was charged under criminal laws relating to suicide or encouraging suicide, not terrorism laws, police said in a statement. Police did not reveal his nationality.
O’Neil was acting alone and had “no links to any cultural groups,” New South Wales state acting Deputy Commissioner Frank Mennilli told reporters in Sydney on Friday.
“He did post on social media a number of threats of some possible activity that he could be undertaking,” Mennilli said, without giving any further details.
Australia, a staunch U.S. ally which sent troops to fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown radicals since 2014.
Assistant Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said police were also prepared for any incidents similar to those in Germany and France this year where suspected Islamic State militants intentionally drove trucks into holiday crowds, killing dozens of civilians.
“We know the national threat level is probable. Therefore from our perspective, it’s important that we look at potential risks whatever crime that may be and vehicle born threats is one of those and we’ve certainly spent a significant amount of time planning to mitigate any vehicle born threats, ” Fuller said.
More than 2,000 police will patrol harbourside locations in a major security operation in Sydney on Saturday (December 31), where tens of thousands of revellers are expected to ring in the new year.
