Man drove car used in firebombing: cops
The 20-year-old was arrested on Wednesday in Williamstown and charged with stealing a blue VW Golf that was used in the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue.
The operation was undertaken by the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team (JCTT), which includes officers from Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police, and ASIO.
The taskforce previously said the attack was likely politically motivated.
That is still the position of the JCTT and the investigation is still into alleged terrorism.
The man was not charged for the actual arson attack, and no one has been charged for that offence yet.
The investigation is ongoing into the Adass Israel Synagogue fire, which police said was a significant priority for them with 'significant resources across all agencies' being used.
Following the arrest of the 20-year-old man, police seized items at a Melton South home that will be further investigated.
The man was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday, October 3, 2025.
Police allege the man stole the car in Melton on November 29, 2024, after which it was used in a series of arson attacks, including at the Lux Nightclub in South Yarra and an arson and shooting attack in Bundoora.
Police previously alleged that it was a 'communal crime car'.
Victoria Police do not consider the Lux and Bundoora fires to be politically motivated.
The synagogue attack shattered the local community who started a crowd-funding campaign to help rebuild it.
The government has committed $30m to the restoration of the Ripponlea building and funded increased security upgrades.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Pakistani security forces kill 3 militants linked to 2024 attack on Chinese in Karachi
KARACHI, Pakistan — Pakistani security forces in an overnight raid killed three suspected militants accused of orchestrating last year's attack in which two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi were wounded, officials said on Monday. Azad Khan, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department, said the dead insurgents included the alleged mastermind of the November 2024 attack.
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Pakistani security forces kill 3 militants linked to 2024 attack on Chinese in Karachi
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani security forces in an overnight raid killed three suspected militants accused of orchestrating last year's attack in which two Chinese nationals working in a textile mill in the southern port city of Karachi were wounded, officials said on Monday. Azad Khan, a senior official with the Counter-Terrorism Department, said the dead insurgents included the alleged mastermind of the November 2024 attack. He identified that person only as Zafran and said he was from the Pakistani Taliban, who are known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP and are allies of the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. China has repeatedly pressed Pakistan to improve security for its nationals working on major infrastructure projects under Beijing's multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which include roads, railways and power plants. Chinese nationals have increasingly come under attack by militant groups, including TTP and the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army — banned by the Pakistani authorities and also designated as terrorist groups by the United States. Pakistan has pledged to bolster security measures for Chinese workers, including those employed at private factories. Meanwhile, at least seven people were killed the previous day in Tirah Valley, a district in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Fiaz Khan, a local government official, said. He said the violence erupted when hundreds of residents gathered outside a military camp to demand protection and justice after a child was killed in a mortar attack on the weekend. The crowd came under gunfire from 'unknown gunmen,' Khan said. He said the demonstrators accused security forces of opening fire when some people were throwing stones at the military camp, but police had yet to determine whose bullets caused the deaths. Khan said gunfire was also reported from nearby hills, and police suspect TTP may have been behind the shooting to sow discord between residents and the military. The government has ordered a probe into the killings of demonstrators, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Riaz Khan contributed to this story from Peshawar, Pakistan.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Terror probe as man arrested 'after shouting Allahu Akbar and death to Trump' on flight from Luton to Glasgow
A man has been arrested over a disturbance on board an easyJet flight to Scotland. The suspect was removed from the aircraft, which had travelled from London Luton Airport, after it touched down at Airport at about 8.20am on Sunday. Footage is circulating online which appears to show a man on a plane shouting something about a "bomb", along with "death to America, death to Trump" and "Allahu Akbar" - an Arabic phrase that means "God is greater". The man is then tackled to the ground and pinned to the floor of the aircraft by two men. Police said a 41-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody. The force said enquiries are continuing, with a spokesperson adding: "At this time we believe the incident was contained and that nobody else was involved. "We are aware of videos circulating online and these are being assessed by counter-terrorism officers." Read more from Sky News: The incident comes as US President Donald Trump is currently enjoying a private visit to Scotland. An easyJet spokesperson said: "Flight EZY609 from Luton to Glasgow yesterday was met by police on arrival in Glasgow, where they boarded the aircraft and removed a passenger due to their behaviour on board. "EasyJet's crew are trained to assess all situations and act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. "The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority."
