A 20-year-old man from regional Western Australia has been charged with preparing for a terrorist act allegedly targeting public buildings in Perth.
Alleged Plot Details
WA Police, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO, comprising the state’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team, have been investigating the man’s online activities, leading to a search warrant being executed at a home in the Wheatbelt.
Police will allege the man was plotting to attack public buildings including police stations, religious buildings, and parliament. He has been charged with acting in preparation for a terrorist act, using a carriage service to menace or harass, possessing a prohibited weapon, and two firearms offences.
Premier’s Statement
WA Premier Roger Cook said the man, from the town of Bindoon, north of Perth, was arrested yesterday. He stated that police allege the man was planning a mass casualty event targeting the WA Police Headquarters, WA Parliament House, and Muslim faith places of worship.
Mr. Cook added that the man was allegedly motivated by a white supremacist ideology. He also stated there is no ongoing threat to the WA community.
Mr. Cook thanked officers who executed the search warrant and arrested the man, saying their actions “had prevented an alleged act of terror in our city” to “attack the heart of our democracy.” He emphasized that “Whatever our differences, we all have the right to go about our lives free from the fear of violence.”
Briefing and Previous Incident
Political and religious leaders are being briefed on the incident. The Prime Minister has been fully briefed by the AFP, according to Mr. Cook.
The charges come weeks after a 31-year-old Perth man, Liam Alexander Hall, was charged with committing a terrorist act – the first such charge laid in WA’s history. Hall is accused of throwing a homemade bomb into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally on January 26. The device, filled with screws and ball bearings, failed to detonate.
The 20-year-old man is due to appear in a Perth court this afternoon.
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