Police Have Foiled a NYE Terror Plot In Melbourne

A man was arrested just before 3pm in Werribee yesterday over an alleged plot to “shoot and kill as many people as possible” in Federation Square on New Year’s Eve.

The man, an Australian-born citizen with Somali parents, was arrested during counter-terror raids on Monday afternoon at his home, where he lives with his parents and siblings. He has been accused of attempting to obtain an automatic rifle to carry out the attack.

After the raid—dubbed “Operation San Jose”—he was taken into custody, police confirmed in a statement released on this morning. “He is currently being interviewed in relation to the offences of Acts in Preparation to Commit a Terrorist Attack and Collecting Documents to Facilitate a Terrorist Act, contrary to the Commonwealth Criminal Code Act,” the statement reads.

At a press conference held this morning, Victoria Police’s Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the man was not successful in obtaining a gun at the time of his arrest, but police did uncover guide books produced by Al-Qaeda that detailed how to commit terrorist acts and how to use a firearm.

“What we will be alleging is that he was intending to use a firearm to shoot and kill as many people as he could in federation square area on New Year’s Eve,” Patton said. He also confirmed that the man had connections to other extremists, but declined to comment on whether these people were also in custody.

“We are quite confident that there is no risk or no threat to the Victorian community now that we have removed him from society and he’s being interviewed,” Patton said.