NSW Police monitor 1000 on terrorism continuum as neo-Nazi risk grows

NSW counter-terrorism police are tracking more than 1000 people of interest as growing concerns about right-wing extremism add to the long-standing threat posed by radical Islamists.

The senior police officer overseeing counter-terrorism operations in NSW also warned that the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan could lead to a greater risk of violent extremism in Australia.

Opening a new counter-terrorism training facility, NSW Police have warned of an increasingly diverse extremism risk. Credit:NSW Police

Launching a $3 million facility to train officers in tactics during terrorist attacks, Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said police, in concert with other state and federal agencies, had a range of initiatives in place to prevent radicalisation and to manage extremists.

He said a “known entity management model” used by police involved officers monitoring, to varying degrees, “over 1000 people in the state of NSW who may be of interest to us at some stage of the terrorism continuum”.

Police are also involved in countering violent extremism programs that seek to divert people from radicalisation, and have established an engagement and hate crime unit to identify people who might be drawn to committing violent acts against the public.

Mr Hudson warned of a new phase of extreme right-wing ideology and a “proliferation of violent online sentiment” that could, without appropriate monitoring and intervention, lead to real-world violence.

“Over the last two years, there has been an increase in ideological violent threats that we have seen, mainly through the online environment,” he said.

In the past year, counter-terrorism police in NSW have arrested three men who were alleged to be in the preparation stages of committing terrorist acts.

“Whilst we have seen probably a 30-40 per cent increase in the ideological threats of terrorism, our biggest concern is still religious-based fundamentalism and extremism,” Mr Hudson said this week.

Neo-Nazis are actively recruiting in Australia.

A joint investigation by the Herald, The Age and 60 Minutes this month exposed details about the threat of organised neo-Nazis in Australia, with people as young as 16 being radicalised.

ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said the ideologically motivated extremism was of “grave concern” and now accounted for about 50 per cent of priority terrorism investigations, alongside religiously motivated extremism.

Mr Hudson said law enforcement agencies continued to monitor overseas developments because “usually what happens overseas ends up replicating itself” in NSW, pointing to potential threats flowing from the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban retaking control of Afghanistan.

“We are seeing the world stage change. We are seeing movements in Afghanistan, we are seeing things that could at some stage impact at some stage in NSW and Australia,” he said.

The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has prompted concerns about the hardline Islamist group harbouring terrorists. Credit:AP

“We are monitoring that environment with our other law enforcement and our Commonwealth partners to see what that means for us.”

The US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, following the September 11 attacks, was aimed at al-Qaeda’s operations in the country, where the previous Taliban regime was providing sanctuary for the terrorist group.

The collapse of the US-backed government in Afghanistan this month and the return of the Taliban has led to immediate concerns it could be an opportunity for global Islamist extremism, although experts warn it is too early to tell what the threat will look like.

The new NSW Police training facility, at an undisclosed location in Sydney, includes building structures, a streetscape, climbing wall and static helicopter to simulate real-life incidents.

Darren Bark, spokesperson for the anti-extremism Keep NSW Safe Coalition, welcomed the facility as an initiative to address threats to the community, especially minorities.

“It is important that our law enforcement agencies have both the resources and the powers to counter extremism no matter where it comes from or who it targets,” he said.

“We also need to look at social media which is the breeding ground for many hate groups. So it’s time that technology providers step up and close the gateway to this radicalisation.”

Mr Hudson said the training at the facility would be important “if something slips through the cracks” and authorities were unable to prevent an attack from occurring.

Assistant Commissioner Mark Walton said: “This new training facility allows our tactical operators and the support services here in NSW Police to practise every day in a purpose-built facility for the tactical resolution of incidents.”

NSW Police Minister David Elliott said the opening of the new facility was an “unfortunate necessity”.

“Unfortunately the challenges both overseas and domestically means we have to continue our preparedness for all contingencies, and that does include terrorist attacks as well as civil unrest,” he said.

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Fergus Hunter is a crime reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

Laura Chung is a crime reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald.

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