Police in the Australian state of New South Wales have arrested and charged a 21-year-old man with extreme right-wing views who is alleged to have been preparing a terrorist attack, law enforcement officials confirmed at a press conference on Monday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th March, 2020) Police in the Australian state of New South Wales have arrested and charged a 21-year-old man with extreme right-wing views who is alleged to have been preparing a terrorist attack, law enforcement officials confirmed at a press conference on Monday.
According to Australian Federal Police Commissioner Scott Lee, the individual was arrested on Saturday after law enforcement officers conducted surveillance on the man's online activities.
"It will be alleged the man was attempting and planning to purchase or acquire military equipment, including firearms and items capable of making improvised explosive devices," Lee stated, adding that the maximum sentence for the charge of preparing an act of terrorism is life imprisonment.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton added that the suspect, Joshua Lucas from the town of Sanctuary Point, expressed right-wing views online.
"I think it is fair to say that really the online environment is the petri dish of hate in our community. What we know is that this person had anti-government sentiment, he was anti-Semitic, he has neo-Nazi interests and anti-indigenous interests. Unfortunately, he's evolved with an ideology that really is one of hate against a lot of different groups," Walton told reporters.
Lee added that police moved to arrest Lucas on Saturday, one day before the first anniversary of the Christchurch mosque shootings that resulted in the deaths of 51 people.
According to the Canberra Times newspaper, Lucas had planned to blow up an electrical substation with an improvised explosive device. The suspect appeared in a local court in the town of Nowra earlier in the day, and bail was refused.
