Anti-Semitic Caravan Bomb Plot Fabricated by Organised Criminals: AFP

The Australian Federal Police has never dismissed the possibility that the plot could be fabricated.

New South Wales police officers stand near members of the Australian Jewish community at a memorial service at Sydney's Bondi Beach in Australia on Sept. 2, 2024. David Gray/AFP via Getty Images

The explosives-laden caravan that rattled Australia earlier this year has been confirmed as a “fake” terrorism plot.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) announced on March 10 that the incident was orchestrated by organised criminals rather than terrorists.

“Today, I can reveal the caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event, but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit,” AFP Deputy Commissioner for National Security Krissy Barrett told reporters.

The caravan, which was discovered in Sydney in January, was initially feared to be part of a major terror attack.

The vehicle was ladened with powergel, a chemical normally used for mining operations, along with a note containing Jewish targets. The van was abandoned on the side of a road for weeks before it was towed by a concerned bystander.

Police initially estimated the powergel able to cause a 40-metre wide blast radius. Yet the chemical was decades old, and did not have a detonation device.

Investigators have now determined that the entire plot was fabricated.

Orchestrated by Organised Crime

According to Deputy Commissioner Barrett, the plot was an elaborate ruse designed by criminals both in Australia and offshore.

Authorities believe those responsible aimed to leverage the threat to gain personal benefits, such as leniency in criminal proceedings.

In one example, the AFP said a prisoner last year tried to secure high-powered weapons for a fake terror plot so he could provide information to authorities in exchange for a reduction to his drug trafficking sentence.

He was identified after the AFP found evidence of his alleged plan on an encrypted platform.

“This twisted self-serving criminality has terrorised Australians. What organised crime has [allegedly] done to the Jewish community is reprehensible, and it won’t go without consequences.”

Damage is seen following a firebombing at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia on Dec. 9, 2024. AAP Image/Yumi Rosenbaum

Arrests and Ongoing Investigations

After the matter was leaked to the media, NSW Premier Chris Minns fronted reporters to get ahead of the matter.

He called the discovery a “potential mass casualty event.”

As part of the investigation, NSW Police launched Strike Force Pearl, leading to 14 additional arrests on 49 charges. Raids were carried out across Sydney, with more arrests expected.

However, none of those arrested so far have been directly linked to the caravan plot.

Police also confirmed that the mastermind behind the scheme remains at large. Authorities believe the individual maintained a distance from the operation.

“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 to carry out parts of their plan. However, the plan was foiled,” Barrett said.

Authorities continue to work with international law enforcement agencies to track down all individuals involved.

Political Fallout and Calls for Inquiry

The discovery of the caravan sparked fears among the Jewish community, which has already been on high alert due to a surge in anti-Semitic incidents since the Israel-Hamas War began in October 2023.

Reported incidents of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia have risen across Australia, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson acknowledged the distress caused, but suggested that Jewish Australians could take some comfort in knowing that the attacks were orchestrated by a small group.

Minns Briefed Early, PM Told Later

Meanwhile, the federal government has faced scrutiny over the incident.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton called for an independent inquiry into why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was not informed sooner about the discovery of the explosives, when Premier Minns was notified immediately.

Albanese declined to confirm when he was briefed, stating, “We don’t discuss those details, because it’s an ongoing investigation.”

When pressed in Parliament by opposition frontbencher Michael Sukkar, Albanese maintained that he was following AFP and ASIO advice.

“What you do when you have an ongoing investigation is that you take the advice of the Australian Federal Police and the ASIO director-general, and that is precisely what I have done the whole way through,” he said.

During a Senate inquiry, the AFP was probed on the same issue.

Commissioner Reece Kershaw declined to answer.

“That relates to an ongoing joint counterterrorism team operation ... I am conscious that this is a public hearing and it is not an appropriate forum to provide information,” he said.

In response to the AFP’s revelations, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the opposition leader had tried to leverage the matter for political gain.

“The revelations this afternoon about the incident in Dural show that Peter Dutton has played directly into the hands of organised crime figures who have been trying to profit from dividing our community,” he wrote on X on March 10.

“If you don’t care about the facts, if you don’t care about inflicting unwarranted fear and blame on our community, you can’t be trusted with national security.”