Australian authorities have revealed that a trailer packed with explosives and purportedly linked to an antisemitic terrorism plot was actually staged as part of a sophisticated hoax.
Deputy Police Commissioner David Hudson said the trailer’s placement was part of a “fabricated terrorist plot, essentially a criminal con job” aimed at attracting attention from authorities and diverting resources for personal gain. The plot was not meant to be detonated, and the explosives were visibly displayed without a detonator.
The hoax was one of several incidents that followed a monthslong wave of antisemitic crimes in Australia’s largest cities, including firebombings, vandalism, and hate graffiti. Authorities have now arrested 28 people in connection with these attacks, and police say a small group, potentially just one individual, is behind most of the crimes.
The hoax was part of an escalation of antisemitism in Australia since October 2023, when Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel sparked a wave of incidents. Preliminary data showed 662 antisemitic incidents across Australia in October and November 2023, compared to 495 for the entire year.
New laws were enacted in January 2024 explicitly banning Nazi symbols and glorifying terrorism. However, some incidents now appear to have been part of the elaborate hoax, rather than rooted in antisemitism.
The revelation comes as police continue to investigate nearly 200 more people charged with crimes linked to antisemitism in New South Wales since October 2023. Authorities say a person remains at large, believed to be orchestrating the attacks from overseas interests.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/australia-antisemitism-terrorism-incidents-really-criminal-con-police-say