Australian police have stated that a caravan discovered packed with explosives in outer Sydney earlier this year was part of a fabricated terrorism plot concocted by criminals. The caravan, found in northwestern Sydney on January 19, had enough explosives to cause a 40m-wide blast and included a note with antisemitic messages and a list of Jewish synagogues. Despite triggering widespread panic following a series of antisemitic attacks in Australia, the police revealed on Monday that they were aware almost immediately that the caravan was essentially a criminal scheme.
The caravan was investigated by the New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team, who concluded that it was part of a fabricated terrorism plot based on information available, the ease in locating the caravan, the visibility of the explosives (which lacked a detonator), and continued receipt of tip-offs about related terror plots. Police believe these tip-offs were also fabricated, as confirmed by AFP’s deputy commissioner of national security, Krissy Barrett. She described it as an elaborate scheme carried out by organized criminals, domestically and from offshore, led by an individual who maintained a distance and hired local criminals to execute parts of the plan. Police confirmed that this individual has not been arrested.
Barrett also mentioned that there are too many instances of criminals paying others to carry out antisemitic or terrorism incidents to divert law enforcement attention or resources, emphasizing that the person behind the caravan hoax sought changes to their criminal status. She cited another case of a person attempting to procure high-powered weapons for a fake terror plot in exchange for sentence reduction. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) was contacted for more details on the suspected agenda of those behind the caravan hoax but did not provide further comment.
Regardless of the motivation behind the fake plot, it has had a chilling effect on the Jewish community, as stated by Barrett. Organized crime’s actions targeting the Jewish community are described as reprehensible and will not go unpunished. Additionally, New South Wales police arrested 14 people on Monday morning as part of Strike Force Pearl, an operation established in December 2024 to investigate antisemitic hate crimes across Sydney. The establishment of the Strike Force followed a series of antisemitic attacks in late 2024, including the vandalism of a Jewish school and the arson of a childcare center.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly3zr8p46eo
