Sydney Explosives Cache, Initially Feared as Antisemitic Terror Plot, Was a Hoax, Police Say

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Australian authorities have revealed that what politicians initially described as an antisemitic terror plot intended to cause mass casualties was, in fact, an elaborate hoax orchestrated by criminals for personal gain. According to police on Monday, the explosives were never intended to be detonated.

Law enforcement officials investigating the January discovery of the trailer outside Sydney announced at a news conference that the incident was a scheme by criminals who planned to benefit from alerting authorities to its presence. This revelation adds a bizarre layer to a series of antisemitic incidents in Australia.

Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson stated that the attacks on Jewish sites, including the firebombing of a synagogue and daycare center, as well as acts of vandalism, were perpetrated by “a very small group, and potentially one individual.”

In January, authorities unusually claimed that none of the 12 individuals arrested in connection with the crimes in Sydney and Melbourne were driven by antisemitic motives, but were instead criminals hired for the job. Hudson added that the 14 additional individuals arrested on Monday also lacked hateful motivations.

However, Hudson acknowledged that antisemitism in Australia has “escalated over the past 18 months” since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel.

‘There was no detonator’

The discovery of the trailer in January, containing mining explosives and a list of Jewish targets, led to widespread concern about potential extremist violence. This information was leaked to the public before the authorities’ official announcement.

However, investigators stated on Monday that they suspected “almost immediately” that the trailer was “part of a fabricated terrorist plot, essentially a criminal con job.” According to Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett, these suspicions were kept secret.

The trailer was easily discoverable, and the explosives were clearly visible. Barrett also noted that “there was no detonator,” emphasizing that it was “never going to cause a mass casualty event.”

Instead, those who staged the trailer incident planned to inform the authorities of an impending attack against Jewish Australians, according to Barrett. The reasons behind this scheme, as investigators believe, were complex.

A criminal gig economy

Barrett and Hudson explained that the perpetrators of the trailer plot intended to attract attention from authorities, divert police resources, create fear, and exploit the situation for personal gain. This may have involved attempting to use information about a potential attack to negotiate with police for reduced sentences in other criminal cases.

“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,” Barrett said, adding that this individual is still at large.

Authorities have suggested since January that the criminals were hired, though specific details remain undisclosed. They also have not revealed which local criminal groups may have been involved in the attacks, which included hateful graffiti.

Barrett added that this was not an isolated incident. “Too many offenders working in a criminal gig economy are accepting these tasks for money,” she said.

The 14 individuals arrested on Monday face charges related to the coordinated attacks.

A measure of comfort for the Jewish community

This unusual development concludes a period marked by antisemitic crimes in Sydney and Melbourne, where 85% of Australia’s Jewish population resides. One person suffered physical harm: a worshipper who sustained burns in an arson attack on a synagogue in December.

Hudson stated that the Jewish community could find “some comfort” in knowing that the most severe incidents were not ideologically driven acts of hate. However, Barrett added that the crimes have had “a chilling effect on the Jewish community” and fostered unwarranted suspicion of other groups.

Police are also investigating other attacks. Nearly 200 additional individuals have been charged with crimes linked to antisemitism in New South Wales since October 2023, according to police reports in February.