Image: NSW Police/Facebook
A senior NSW Police officer was made to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to access key details about a hoax terror plot that led to fast-tracked laws in New South Wales.
In January, police discovered a caravan in Dural packed with Powergel explosives and a note naming Jewish community targets, including a synagogue. The find raised alarms over a possible antisemitic attack.
Authorities have now confirmed it was a staged setup, allegedly orchestrated by criminal figures—most notably wanted drug smuggler Sayit Erhan Akca—to gain reduced prison sentences.
Police kept in the dark of hoax terror plot
The AFP, ASIO, NSW Police, and the NSW Crime Commission launched a joint counterterrorism investigation. However, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said his team was kept in the dark about the motives behind the intelligence.
“We were not told,” Hudson said. “We repeatedly asked what the motivation of the person providing that information was. However, [the AFP’s] internal policies prevented them from doing that.”
Hudson said he had doubts from the start. “It seemed to be too obvious in relation to explosive notes of potential targets, and just very unusual,” he said. “It didn’t sit right.”
Still, Hudson said the AFP’s reports were serious enough to warrant full investigation. “The reporting… kept it at a level that needed to be investigated by the joint counterterrorism team.”
Only after an officer signed the NDA did NSW Police learn the plot was fake. Hudson now believes the hoax was part of a wider plan to game the justice system. He linked 14 other antisemitic incidents under Strike Force Pearl to the same alleged manipulation. “We would suggest that 14 incidents are part of the same manipulation,” he said.
Tim Roberts, President of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, criticised the secrecy. “The NSWCCL is alarmed at the use of an NDA in this incident,” Roberts told City Hub. “It is essential the Inquiry gets to the bottom of whether it helped keep the public in the dark.”
On 21 February, the NSW Government passed strict laws on hate speech and protest activity—based on fears now revealed to be unfounded.
Leave a Reply