Seven men released after Australian authorities feared another ‘violent act’

Australian authorities have released seven people detained on suspicion of planning violence. The men are not currently facing any charges.

On Thursday, New South Wales (NSW) Police said Tactical Operations officers conducted an operation following information indicating “violent action was likely being planned” in Sydney. Officers stopped two cars and detained seven people.

“Police acted quickly to prevent any plans from progressing. There is no immediate safety risk to the community,” NSW Police said. Sydney Morning Herald. “Investigations will continue to examine all available evidence and the investigation into the matter is ongoing.”

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NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Dave Hudson, who claimed on Friday that the men were inspired by the same ideology as the armed suspects at Bondi Beach, defended the officers’ tactics by saying it was “the tactic best suited to the circumstances”, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“When you’re investigating, there’s a balance for investigators and counter-terrorism police between intervening at a time when you can reduce all the risks and threats, which we did yesterday, or waiting until you have a brief piece of evidence that you can present to the court against people with bows on them,” Hudson said. he said.

Some reports indicated the men had traveled from Melbourne to Bondi Beach, the site of the deadly mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. However, one of the men who spoke to reporters after the group’s release denied the allegations. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

“No, why would we go there? Too much headache…it was too far from where we were anyway,” he said.

Police walk the street following a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (DAVID GREY/AFP via Getty Images)

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NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the men, aged 19 to 24 and from Victoria, would continue to be monitored while they were in New South Wales. Lanyon also said NSW Police would work with law enforcement in Victoria.

Intelligence sources confirmed to the ABC that one of the men in the group was being investigated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO).

Victorian premier Jacinta Allan said it was too early to speculate as to why the group was traveling in the region.

“We have all seen the images and images of what happened and we thank you.” [NSW police] “Because they move quickly,” he said. Guard. “However, at this stage there was not enough information to speculate as to why these people were traveling in this vehicle in this vicinity.”

A woman kneels and prays at a floral memorial to the shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on Monday, December 15, 2025, a day after the shooting. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)

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Australian media reported that one of the men described the incident as a “misunderstanding”. He also said the group told police they were “here on holiday.”

“They have work to do, I don’t blame them for anything, it was a misunderstanding,” the man said. He also rejected the idea that the group had extreme beliefs.