German National Arrested for Allegedly Helping Anti-Semitic Bomb Scare Suspect Escape

This is the second AFP arrest in days.

Protestors hold placards and flags during a rally against anti-Semitism in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 18, 2024. Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

A 51-year-old German citizen has been arrested for allegedly helping a key suspect linked to the anti-Semitic caravan bomb scare to escape the country.

This marks the second arrest by the Australian Federal Police in recent days.

Authorities allege that a primary suspect involved in the January terror plot, which centered around a caravan packed with explosives in the Sydney suburb of Dural, fled the country in 2023.

The counterterrorism task force believes the escape was carefully orchestrated by a network aiding fugitives.

Although the incident was ultimately exposed as a hoax devised by criminal syndicates, investigators say it was intended to be used as leverage for reduced sentences.

This development occurred during a period of heightened anti-Semitic activity in Sydney and Melbourne, raising further concerns about organised criminal involvement.

Arrests and Maritime Escape Route

On March 21, a 57-year-old Queensland man was taken into custody on similar charges.

Police claim the German national and the Queenslander were part of the yacht’s crew when they allegedly retrieved the 35-year-old suspect in an at-sea transfer.

The vessel reportedly departed from Thursday Island in the country’s north on Sept. 21, 2023, before arriving in Phuket, Thailand on Nov. 2, 2023.

Reports also suggest that the German national hired the Queensland man as a deckhand roughly 10 days before the yacht set sail, reinforcing suspicions of a premeditated escape plan.

The latest arrest follows ongoing AFP investigations under Operation Harrakis, which focuses on dismantling a criminal network accused of facilitating the escape of high-profile offenders from Australia.

Ties to Operation Ironside and AFP Crackdown

The fugitive in question had been previously charged under Operation Ironside for handling illicit funds exceeding $100,000, an offence under section 400.4 of the Criminal Code (Cth), carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Additional charges were later filed against him for conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, a crime punishable by life imprisonment under section 307.1 of the Criminal Code (Cth).

Operation Ironside, a three-year covert investigation led by the AFP, targeted major criminal syndicates using encrypted devices known as AN0M to smuggle drugs and weapons into Australia, as well as order targeted killings.

To date, the operation has resulted in over 400 arrests and more than 2,350 charges.

“The AFP has meticulously picked apart the operations of this alleged criminal syndicate, and yesterday’s operation is a testament to the skill and dedication of our investigators,” said AFP Commander Naomi Binstead.