Man arrested in Bankstown over alleged terror plot

Exclusive to The Middle East Online

Edited by Nelly Tawil

A Sydney man was charged Thursday morning for allegedly planning a terrorist attack in Australia.

Farhad Said, 24, was arrested outside his Bankstown home around 8:20am and charged over his alleged involvement in pots to attack the Garden Island Naval Base and Australian Federal Police headquarters.

His lawyer, Muhammad Tehseldar, requested that Said not face Central Local Court either in person or by video link on Thursday afternoon, and made no application for bail on his behalf.

Australian Federal police said the arrest was related to material seized during search warrants in December last year, so there was no new threat to the public.

In a joint statement with NSW Police, the Australian Federal Police confirmed he arrest of a 24-year-old Bankstown man and said he was expected to be charged with one count of conspiracy to conduct an act in preparation for a terrorist act.

Court documents reveal authorities allege the offence occurred at Regents Park “and elsewhere” between May and December 2014.

Said will return to Central Local court on June 8 when his co-accused are also expected to appear.

Investigators allege the man, along with a number of other people who have been charged, were “involved in formulating documents connected with preparations to facilitate, assist or engage a person to undertake a terrorist act”.

The total number of people charged as part of Operation Appleby in Sydney since September 2014 is now 15.