Two charged in Operation Peqin
Two people have been arrested today by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT) Sydney as part of the ongoing Operation Peqin investigation.
A 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old female, both from Guildford, were arrested in Guildford this morning.
The 20-year-old man was taken to Parramatta Police Station, while the female was taken to Granville Police Station. Both are expected to be charged with one count each of Getting funds to, from or for a terrorist organisation under section 102.6 of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The maximum sentence for this offence is 25 years imprisonment.
NSW Police Force Deputy Commissioner Catherine Burn said the 20-year-old man is the last member of the original Operation Appleby group to be charged with a criminal offence.
“I previously said that it was disturbing that we continue to deal with teenaged children in this environment. And today’s arrest hasn’t altered that position.”
“Once again we have demonstrated, and will continue to do so, the effectiveness of our Joint Counter Terrorism Team’s ability to investigate terror planning and to put people before the courts,” Deputy Commissioner Burn said.
Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner National Security Michael Phelan emphasised that today’s arrests did not relate to the planning of a terrorist attack in Australia, and there was no imminent threat to the community as a result of today’s activity.
“The charges these two people are expected to face relate to their alleged activities in raising funds and attempting to transfer those funds to an overseas terrorist organisation.”
“Today’s activity demonstrates the cooperative and diligent work of the Sydney JCTT over the past two years. We will disrupt to ensure the safety of the community, and follow that up with thorough investigations to identify criminal behavior,” Deputy Commissioner Phelan said.
Today’s activities bring the total number of people charged by the JCTT Sydney with connections to Operation Appleby to 14 since September 2014.
Police continue to encourage the public to report any suspicious activity they see or hear to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Media enquiries:
AFP National Media (02) 6131 63330
NSW Police Media (02) 8263 6100
Support from the NSW community is an important part of keeping NSW safe against acts of terrorism. There are a number of ways individuals and communities can prevent and prepare for emergencies. Members of the public are encouraged to visit secureNSW, the official NSW Government site for Counter Terrorism Information. Visit www.secure.nsw.gov.au