Police Had Early Doubts About Terrorist Link to Explosive Caravan, Inquiry Reveals

‘I expressed my suspicion over the motivation behind it from very early on,’ NSW Police’s Dave Hudson said.

Police tape at Franklin Wharf in Hobart, Tasmania of Australia on Jan. 30, 2024. AAP Image/Ethan James

Senior New South Wales (NSW) police officers suspected early on that a caravan loaded with explosives and anti-Semitic materials, discovered in January on the outskirts of Sydney, was unlikely to be the work of terrorists.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson, who oversees counter-terrorism operations, told a parliamentary inquiry he had voiced these doubts in initial briefings with government officials.

“I expressed my suspicion over the motivation behind it from very early on,” Hudson said.

Despite those reservations, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) determined that a counter-terrorism investigation was warranted, and the matter remained under intense scrutiny.

The caravan was ultimately revealed to be part of a false flag operation devised by organised criminals aiming to manipulate law enforcement and incite fear for personal gain.

Initial Alarm and Discovery

Found in Dural on Jan. 19, the caravan contained improvised explosives, anti-Semitic literature, and a list of addresses linked to Jewish individuals and institutions—prompting fears of a potential mass-casualty event.

It referenced the Great Synagogue in Sydney’s CBD, heightening alarm among authorities.

After news of the discovery leaked to the media the following week, NSW Premier Chris Minns said police may have “prevented a mass casualty event.”

However, on March 10, AFP Deputy Commissioner for National Security Krissy Barrett publicly confirmed that the caravan posed no real terror threat.

“Today, I can reveal the caravan was never going to cause a mass casualty event,” Barrett told reporters. “It was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit.”

Police Maintained Skepticism

Hudson rejected suggestions that NSW Police had been deceived.

“I don’t think the NSW Police were conned,” he said.

Both Hudson and NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb confirmed that terrorism charges were considered, even though police had internal doubts about the authenticity of the threat.

“In our briefings ... we talked about our concerns about this investigation but reiterated we had to take it at its highest,” Webb said.

She later added that she did inform state ministers about her fears of the incident being a hoax.

“I directly recall relaying to the premier and the [police] minister our concerns that we weren’t able to test the veracity of the information,” she said.

Questions Arise Over Law Timing

Senior police are now being grilled by a parliamentary inquiry about “who knew what and when” after crossbench MPs raised concerns that the government may have used the incident to support the passage of new hate crime legislation.

Defending his stance, Minns said, “I introduced those laws because there had been a summer of racism in NSW, separate and aside to the caravan out in Dural.”

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has since called for an independent inquiry into the apparent briefing delay to the prime minister.

Albanese declined to specify when he was informed.

“We don’t discuss those details, because it’s an ongoing investigation,” he said in Parliament.

AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw also refused to disclose briefing timelines, citing operational sensitivity during a Senate inquiry.

Link to Other Anti-Semitic Incidents

The caravan incident coincided with a series of anti-Semitic attacks in Sydney—including arson and graffiti targeting a synagogue and the former home of a Jewish community leader.

Authorities now believe these incidents were linked to the same false flag operation.

Investigators allege that individuals were paid to carry out the acts to heighten fear and reinforce the caravan’s false narrative.

Barrett explained why doubts emerged quickly.

“This was because of the information they already had, how easily the caravan was found, and how visible the explosives were in the caravan. Also, there was no detonator,” she said.

Political Fallout and Accusations

In response to Dutton’s criticism, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke accused the opposition of politicising the issue.

“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.”

The Dural caravan plot has shifted from a security scare to a political flashpoint—fueling debate over transparency, intelligence handling, and the use of fear in policymaking.

AAP contributed to this article.