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Australian authorities have released seven men who were detained over concerns that they were planning an act of violence. The men are not currently facing any charges.
On Thursday, New South Wales (NSW) Police said Tactical Operations officers carried out an operation in Sydney over information indicating “that a violent act was possibly being planned.” Officers intercepted two cars and detained seven men.
“Police acted quickly to prevent the advancement of any plan. There is no immediate safety risk to the community,” NSW Police said, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “Investigations will continue to review all available evidence and an investigation into the matter remains ongoing.”
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NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson, who alleged on Friday that the men were inspired by the same ideology as the suspected Bondi Beach gunmen, defended officers’ tactics, saying they were “the most appropriate for the circumstances,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It’s a balance when you investigate, for investigators and for the counter-terrorism police, as to interdicting at a point in time where you mitigate all risk and threat, which we did yesterday, or waiting until you can get a brief of evidence against individuals with a bow on it that you can present to court,” Hudson said.
Some reports indicated that the men were traveling from Melbourne to Bondi Beach, the site of a deadly mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. However, when speaking to reporters after the group’s release, one of the men refuted the claims, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
“No, why would we go there? Too much headache… it was too far from where we were anyway,” he said.
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NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that the men, whose ages range from 19 to 24 and are from Victoria, will continue to be monitored while in New South Wales. Lanyon also said that NSW Police would be working with their law enforcement counterparts in Victoria.
One of the men in the group was under investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), intelligence sources confirmed to the ABC.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it was too early to speculate on why the group was traveling in the area.
“We’ve all seen the footage and the images of what has occurred and thank [NSW police] for their swift action,” she said, according to The Guardian. “But at this stage, there was just not enough information to speculate on why these people were traveling in this vehicle in this vicinity.”
Australian outlets reported that one of the men chalked the incident up to a “misunderstanding.” He also said the group told police that they were “here for a holiday.”
“They have their job to do, I don’t blame them for nothing, it was a misunderstanding,” the man said. He also rejected the idea that the group held extremist beliefs.
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