Latest news with #KrissyBarrett
The Guardian
10-03-2025
- The Guardian
Explosives left in Sydney caravan in 'fake terrorism plot' aimed at stoking fear, AFP says
The explosives found alongside antisemitic material in a caravan in Dural in the city's north-west were 'never going to cause a mass casualty event', federal police say. An Australian federal police deputy commissioner, Krissy Barrett, tells reporters that investigators believe the 'fabricated terrorist plot' was concocted by criminals who wanted to create fear for personal benefit. 'We believe the person pulling the strings wanted changes to their criminal status but maintained a distance from their scheme and hired alleged local criminals to carry out parts of their plan,' she says
The Guardian
10-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
A Sydney caravan laden with explosives was a ‘fake terrorism plot'. Here's what we know
The discovery of a caravan packed with explosives earlier this year led to concerns about a possible terrorism attack, criticism of the police and media, and a fierce political debate about the federal government's response to antisemitism. On Monday, Australian police said the caravan was part of 'fake terrorism plot' allegedly orchestrated by organised criminals for personal gain. What do we know about who is behind it? In January, a caravan containing explosives was discovered in Dural on the outskirts of Sydney. Inside the caravan were threats directed towards the Jewish community. An investigation was launched by state and federal police, along with the domestic spy agency, given concerns the caravan could indicate a looming terrorist attack. Ten days after the investigation was launched, the caravan's existence was first revealed by the Daily Telegraph, prompting criticism of police for not immediately disclosing its discovery. That criticism has been rejected by senior police, who have alleged media reporting undermined its investigations. The newspaper's crime editor said that criticism was 'unfair' and that it would 'never compromise an investigation'. After the investigation became public, the Coalition accused the Albanese government of being too slow to request a briefing on the discovery. Senior Coalition figures accused the prime minister of being 'out of his depth' on national security and antisemitisim. On Monday, the AFP said the caravan was 'never going to cause a mass casualty event' and was a 'fake terrorism plot'. It said there was no detonator inside the caravan. The force's deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett said this was known by police at a very early stage of the investigation. 'Almost immediately, experienced investigators within the joint counter-terrorism team believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorist plot, essentially a … con job,' Barrett said. Police allege the 'con job' was fabricated by organised crime figures for personal benefit. It said these undisclosed figures were based in Australia and offshore. Guardian Australia understands authorities believe there is one individual pulling the strings at the top of a chain of command, with a second layer below them of other individuals involved in organised crime, who are soliciting people to carry out acts. The motivation is understood to be to distract police and divert their resources away from organised crime, as well as to create plots that incarcerated criminals can use to tip off law enforcement in order to reduce their sentences. It is not clear why people further down the chain carried out acts on behalf of those orchestrating the plot. The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, and his police minister, Yasmin Catley, said that despite the revelations the caravan plot was concocted, it had struck fear in the Jewish community. The federal home affairs minister, Tony Burke, accused the Coalition opposition of politicising the government's response. In a post on X, he said the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, had 'played directly into the hands of organised crime figures who have been trying to profit from dividing our community'. But the shadow home affairs minister, James Paterson, stood by the Coalition's criticisms that the prime minister should have been briefed on the caravan at an earlier stage. 'Organised crime concocting terrorism plots targeting the Jewish community is an extremely serious matter,' Paterson said. David Ossip, the president of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, said confirmation the caravan incident was a 'con job' should not in any way diminish the summer of fear and anxiety that the Jewish community experienced. 'The criminals who allegedly arranged and carried out these violent attacks sought to take advantage of already-strained social cohesion and unprecedented levels of antisemitism by targeting the Jewish community for their own personal benefit,' Ossip said. 'This is reprehensible and had a chilling effect on the Jewish community.'
CNN
10-03-2025
- CNN
Fake plan to attack Australia synagogue fabricated by organized crime network, police say
A fake plan to attack on a Sydney synagogue using a caravan of explosives was fabricated by an organized crime network in order to divert police resources, Australian police said on Monday. Authorities in January found explosives in a caravan, or trailer, that could have created a blast wave of 40 meters (130 feet), along with the address of a Sydney synagogue. But police on Monday said the discovery was part of a 'criminal con job,' with the ease with which the caravan was found along with the lack of a detonator suggesting there was never any intent to attack Jewish targets. 'The caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit,' Krissy Barrett, the Australian Federal Police's Deputy Commissioner for National Security, told a news conference. 'Almost immediately, experienced investigators… believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorism plot – essentially a criminal con job.' Police are yet to make any arrests in relation to the planning of the fabricated plot, but have gone public with the information in order to provide comfort to the Jewish community in Sydney, Dave Hudson, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner, told the news conference. 'It was about causing chaos within the community, causing threat, causing angst, diverting police resources away from their day jobs, to have them focus on matters that would allow them to get up to or engage in other criminal activity,' Hudson said. Police are investigating a suspect involved in an organized crime network, he added. Australia has suffered a spate of antisemitic attacks in recent months, with homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles targeted by vandalism and arson, drawing the ire of the country's traditional ally Israel.
CNN
10-03-2025
- CNN
Fake plan to attack Australia synagogue fabricated by organized crime network, police say
A fake plan to attack on a Sydney synagogue using a caravan of explosives was fabricated by an organized crime network in order to divert police resources, Australian police said on Monday. Authorities in January found explosives in a caravan, or trailer, that could have created a blast wave of 40 meters (130 feet), along with the address of a Sydney synagogue. But police on Monday said the discovery was part of a 'criminal con job,' with the ease with which the caravan was found along with the lack of a detonator suggesting there was never any intent to attack Jewish targets. 'The caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit,' Krissy Barrett, the Australian Federal Police's Deputy Commissioner for National Security, told a news conference. 'Almost immediately, experienced investigators… believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorism plot – essentially a criminal con job.' Police are yet to make any arrests in relation to the planning of the fabricated plot, but have gone public with the information in order to provide comfort to the Jewish community in Sydney, Dave Hudson, New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner, told the news conference. 'It was about causing chaos within the community, causing threat, causing angst, diverting police resources away from their day jobs, to have them focus on matters that would allow them to get up to or engage in other criminal activity,' Hudson said. Police are investigating a suspect involved in an organized crime network, he added. Australia has suffered a spate of antisemitic attacks in recent months, with homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles targeted by vandalism and arson, drawing the ire of the country's traditional ally Israel.
NBC News
10-03-2025
- NBC News
Explosives-filled caravan was planted by criminals to play on fears of antisemitic attacks, Australia police say
SYDNEY — A fake plan to attack a Sydney synagogue using a caravan of explosives was fabricated by an organized crime network in order to divert police resources, Australian police said Monday. Authorities in January found explosives in a caravan, or trailer, that could have created a blast wave of about 130 feet, along with the address of a Sydney synagogue. But police said Monday that the discovery was part of a 'criminal con job,' with the ease with which the caravan was found along with the lack of a detonator suggesting there was never any intent to attack Jewish targets. 'The caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit,' Krissy Barrett, the Australian Federal Police's deputy commissioner for national security, told a news conference. 'Almost immediately, experienced investigators ... believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorism plot — essentially a criminal con job.' Police have yet to make any arrests in relation to the planning of the fabricated plot, but have gone public with the information in order to provide comfort to the Jewish community in Sydney, Dave Hudson, deputy commissioner of the New South Wales Police, told the news conference. 'It was about causing chaos within the community, causing threat, causing angst, diverting police resources away from their day jobs, to have them focus on matters that would allow them to get up to or engage in other criminal activity,' Hudson said. Police are investigating a suspect involved in an organized crime network, he added. Australia has suffered a spate of antisemitic attacks in recent months, with homes, schools, synagogues and vehicles targeted by vandalism and arson, drawing the ire of the country's traditional ally Israel.
