‘Watched for months’: Chilling ASIO details as seven held in Bondi sting

Seven men continue to “assist police with inquiries” on Friday morning as new dramatic video emerged of officers intercepting a second car believed to be headed to Bondi Beach.

NSW Police has been working overnight with the men, who travelled from Victoria, with intelligence suggesting “a violent act” was being planned.

Heavily-armed tactical officers intercepted two cars believed to be on the way to Bondi late Thursday afternoon, just days after a terror attack claimed 15 innocent lives.

Dramatic footage captured by bystanders in a nearby building showed the moment police intercept the second car, pulling out at least one man at gunpoint in an alleyway.

Officers are heard shouting at the man before a loud wail could be heard.

Undercover cars had rammed the navy-coloured Toyota, bearing Victorian plates, moments earlier. The registration has been cancelled or suspended, according to VicRoads.

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Around the same time, a second vehicle – a white Hyundai i30 – was rammed into at the intersection of George and Campbell streets, also in Liverpool.

At least five men were dragged out of the car and handcuffed.

“At this point in time, police have not identified any connection to the current police investigation of the Bondi terror attack,” a spokesperson said after the operation ended.

Deputy NSW Police Commissioner Dave Hudson said Commonwealth detention orders have been used to keep the men in custody overnight while investigations continue.

“I can assure you that the matter is very much under control,’’ he told 2GB radio.

“The investigation is ongoing. What happened yesterday, we received information which caused us significant concern in relation to a possible violent act that could have been committed, and we decided to interdict at the earliest opportunity.

“I realise that the vision people have seen might seem confronting, but I can assure you, from the information we had at hand, what we did, the strategies and tactics we utilised yesterday are the most appropriate and the safest, not just for police and there’s suspects involved, but also for members of the public.”

Dep Comm Hudson said police’s threshold or tolerance to risk is “very low” and that authorities will act immediately if a crime is about to be committed.

He confirmed the individuals had driven to Sydney from Victoria.

“I think there was a suspicion. There was information received at Bondi may have been one of the locations they were travelling to that did cause us some concern, obviously, and that was one of the escalating factors that caused the interdiction yesterday,” he said.

“But I can confirm no firearms or weapons were located at a vehicle stop, so I think that supported decision to go early, before any potential weapons could be obtained by this crew.”

Victoria Police has been contacted for comment.

Only necessary representatives of NSW Police, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and ASIO were involved in the Thursday’s operation..

It is unclear whether the group of men arrested posed any danger to the public, and unclear why they were headed for Bondi, however, in the current climate, cops are taking no chances.

While police remain tight lipped about the highly sensitive investigation, a spokeswoman said a press conference would be held on Friday morning.

Sources earlier said a high-level “classified” briefing was held before the operation commenced in Liverpool.

‘Chilling’

A witness said it was “frightening to see so many police with huge weapons in the area” especially after what had happened in Bondi.

“This is not something you see every day but it’s even more chilling right now. When will it end.”

In a chaotic chain of events, a police LandCruiser was used to ram a white Hyundai carrying the men.

Tactical officers wearing camouflage and protective gear and carrying rifles were then seen jumping out of a vehicle, detaining the men on a sidewalk.

In a statement on Thursday night, NSW Police said the operation had concluded.“Tactical Operations police responded to information received that a violent act was possibly being planned,” a spokesperson said.

“Police subsequently intercepted two cars as part of the investigation.

“As investigations continue, seven men are assisting police with their inquiries.

“At this point in time, police have not identified any connection to the current police investigation of the Bondi terror attack.”

The incident took place on George St, near a primary school and a medical centre which was reportedly sent into lockdown along with surrounding businesses.

Police have not confirmed the reason for the operation, however NewsWire understands the tactical police were acting on intelligence from ASIO.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Thursday morning more raids were to come in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.

“In the coming days, the New South Wales Joint Counter Terrorism Team will execute further search warrants to support our investigation. There is a lot of material to be examined, and the AFP continues to work with both domestic and international partners to build a more complete picture of the movements and who the alleged offenders had contact with, both in Australia and offshore,” she said.

NSW Police has said there is no further threat to the community.