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“They will continue to be monitored whilst in NSW, and we will work closely with our Victorian and Commonwealth law enforcement partners.”
Police believe the men drove to Liverpool from Victoria, and according to Lanyon, “potentially” arrived on Wednesday.
No weapons or firearms were discovered in the hatchbacks, apart from one knife, and Lanyon said there was no present evidence suggesting the group were on their way to procure weapons. Police were unaware of a motive behind any potential attack.
Earlier on Friday, Hudson said he expected charges to be laid against some of the individuals in the group, while others could walk free.
“It’s a balance when you investigate, for investigators and for the counter-terrorism police, as to interdicting at a point in time where you mitigate all risk and threat, which we did yesterday, or waiting until you can get a brief of evidence against individuals with a bow on it that you can present to court,” Hudson said.
The men lined up after their arrest.Credit: Instagram
The white hatchback was stopped at the intersection of George and Campbell streets, Liverpool.Credit: Instagram
Hudson said he held “significant concern” about the prospect of another public attack, and said the extraordinary tactics to detain the men were “the most appropriate for the circumstances”.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was “hugely concerned” about the prospect of further acts of terror following the Bondi attack, but was encouraged by the swift action taken by police against the seven men on Thursday.
“You can see that they’re [police] not mucking around,” Minns said. “I don’t think anyone in NSW wants them to muck around. If they perceive a threat, now and in the future, they will take immediate action.”
He also encouraged Australians to continue with their plans over the summer period, saying such an action would show “defiance to these terrorists”.
“I think you saw this morning at Bondi with that paddle-out that there are millions of Australians who are not going to cower in the face of terrorism and that’s a fantastic thing.”
Members of the Bondi community paddle and swim into the ocean to pay respect to those killed and injured on Sunday.Credit: Getty Images
NSW Police said in a statement shortly after 8.15pm on Thursday that the operation had concluded and there was no ongoing risk to the community.
“Police have not identified any connection to the current police investigation of the Bondi terror attack,” the statement said.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the investigation exemplified the “high-threat environment” that police were operating in.
“Members of the public can be confident that police will take swift and decisive action. Yesterday afternoon was a clear example of that,” Barrett said on Friday morning.
In footage posted on social media, five men could be seen lying on the road and footpath. The vision shows one man whose head appears to be bleeding. In later footage, he appears to have been bandaged. Beanbag rounds were reportedly used to detain the men.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed her state’s police were supporting the NSW investigation into the movements of the seven men, but declined to offer further information into the incident.
“We’ve all seen the footage and the images of what has occurred ... but at this stage, there is just not enough information to speculate on why these people were travelling in this vehicle in this vicinity,” Allan said on Friday morning.
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