Bankstown man arrested over alleged terrorism plot

A Sydney man was arrested by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) Sydney on Thursday. The 24-year-old Bankstown resident has been charged with one count of conspiracy to conduct an act in preparation for a terrorist act.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the man, Farhad Said, is alleged to have been involved in preparing documents for a planned attack on government buildings in Sydney. The documents also made mention of launching “guerrilla warfare” in the Blue Mountains.

He is apparently connected with a number of men already facing charges of possessing documents designed to facilitate a terrorist attack, including Ibrahim Ghazzawy and brothers Jibryl and Mohamed Almaouie.

In a statement, the Australian Federal Police and the New South Wales Police said the there is no new threat to the community, and that the man’s offence is related to material seized during search warranted conducted by Operation Appleby investigators in December 2014.

“Today’s arrest reiterates the commitment of the JCTT Sydney in undertaking the long-term and complex investigations, even after the operational activity has been carried out to disrupt potential terrorist acts,” the statement reads.

“The JCTT Sydney conducted disruption activity in this matter in September and December 2014 to ensure the safety of the community at the time, and has continued to examine the evidence gathered as part of ongoing investigations into potential criminal offences.”

The AFP did not publish the man’s identity to the public. His arrest brings the total number of people charged in relation to Operation Appleby to 15 since September 2014.

Said’s lawyer, Muhammad Tehseldar, did not apply for bail in Central Local Court. He will return to court on June 8 alongside his seven co-accused.