The isolated NSW property where Naveed and Sajid Akram did ‘military-style’ training
It’s easy to get lost among the isolated back blocks of NSW’s Southern Highlands.
Indistinguishable gravel roads stretch for miles; tracks are swallowed by thick undergrowth; Driveway gates are double padlocked for good measure; rolling hills protect those behind them from prying eyes; and cars rarely travel the winding roads that lead to the area’s many hobby farms.
For those looking for an escape, the sparsely populated area offers sanctuary. For Naveed and Sajid Akram, such isolation presented an opportunity to hone the skills they would allegedly use to carry out Australia’s worst terrorist attack.
In late October, father and son traveled to an isolated property in the area and allegedly received what police described as tactical training as part of their preparations for the December 14 attack on Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead and dozens injured. Sajid Akram, 50, was killed in a shootout with police. Naveed Akram, 24, who survived being shot in the abdomen, is charged with 59 crimes, including 15 murders and acts of terrorism.
Using satellite imagery and photographs of father and son released by the NSW Local Court, the tag tracked the Akrams to the property about an hour from Goulburn and revealed for the first time much of the couple’s alleged plans in the months before the Bondi Beach massacre. Exclusive footage of the property reveals Akrams filming near various structures, including a trailer, a small portable building, and a shipping container that appear to be equipped for long-term stays. In the images, it can be seen that there is a rainwater tank and an open-air toilet near the structures.
Views of the property from above show various features identified in the court-released photograph of Sajid Akram; These include Tree A, recognizable by its distinctive arms, the now closed gate, traffic cones on fence posts, a patch of soil, and a hill.
The gate seen in Ekrem’s picture is used to access a small courtyard surrounding the caravan.
Various sources, on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, provided information used to verify the location where the images released by the court were taken. The images of the father and son, which were among the rarely seen images of the duo before the attack on Jewish families at the Hanukkah event by the sea, were included in a police memorandum made public after media organizations defended the publication of this photo. The images were taken from videos allegedly found on the father-son phones seized by the police a few hours after the attack. According to the memo, the videos show the couple “firing a shotgun and moving tactically” during alleged firearms training on the property.
Police searched the property where the Akrams allegedly trained in the days after the December 14 massacre. They were expected to return this week to conduct a second search. It is unclear whether anything connected to the Akrams was found on the property during the initial search. In October, a local farmer briefly crossed paths with the Akrams who were visiting the property, weeks before visiting the Philippines. They were polite and spoke little.
In the photo of Naveed Akram, also published by the court, the 24-year-old is seen shooting with a shotgun similar to the shotgun used by his father.
By matching the trees on the hill behind Naveed Akram to those captured in photographs of the property, the imprint confirmed that the 24-year-old was standing in a similar position to his father when he was filmed firing his gun.
Both Tree B and Tree C are recognizable in the images due to their distinctive leaves when compared to Naveed Akram’s photograph released by the court. Tree C can also be identified by its relative position to Tree B.
The place where Akrams allegedly trained was one of several lots sold by a developer following the subdivision of a larger property more than a decade ago. Many landowners use a common path on the property, accessed through a padlocked gate.
The Akrams told the owner of the land where they allegedly trained that they were friends rather than father and son and were given access to the sprawling block to shoot wild animals in October. There is no allegation that the landowner, who cooperated with the police, committed any crime.
The landowner did not know the Akrams by name when contacted by authorities in the days after the massacre, but when shown a photograph by police he determined that the pair had used the property for the shooting. For legal reasons this imprint has chosen not to reveal the exact location of the property.
Many large properties in the area that have been owned by local farming families for generations have been subdivided and sold in the last few decades. Since then Sydney-based families have purchased property in the area.
Locals say gunshots can be heard constantly during weekends and holidays when visitors flock to the area to hunt and camp. On some days, the shooting in the area is so intense that locals prefer to stay indoors and off the roads for fear of being hit by a stray bullet.
Sajid Akram uses a shotgun while being attacked by Ahmed al Ahmed at Bondi Beach.Credit:
Sajid and Naveed Akram (in black trousers) at Bondi Beach on December 14.Credit:
Footage taken during the Bondi massacre shows the Akrams using numerous high-powered weapons; These include a shotgun similar to those seen in footage released by the court.
Sajid Akram is seen firing a similar-looking shotgun before being disarmed by bystander hero Ahmed al Ahmed.
According to the police fact sheet outlining the case against Naveed Akram, father and son had amassed an arsenal of six firearms, including two single-barreled shotguns.
On Monday, Australian Federal Police commissioner Krissy Barrett said the Akrams allegedly acted alone and were not part of a larger terrorist cell.
As authorities continue to piece together the Akrams’ movements in the months and years before the massacre, families of the couple’s alleged victims are calling for a royal commission into the rise of antisemitism in Australia and the failures that led to the mass murder.
Naveed Akram will return to court in April.
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