The group was flagged because they were known to authorities in Victoria. (Photo: Video screengrab) Police in New South Wales, Australia, on Thursday intercepted and arrested seven men who were on their way to Bondi Beach, where 15 Jews were gunned down by two Islamic State-inspired terrorists on Sunday.
Seven men on two vehicles intercepted
According to local media reports, the seven men from Melbourne were travelling on two vehicles with Victorian plates through Liverpool, Sydney, when they were intercepted.
According to 9 News, the police received information that a “violent act” was possibly being planned by the group who were on their way to Bondi Beach.
Heavily armed officers from the tactical operations first rammed a Hyundai i-30 with a Landcruiser and deployed multiple rounds of rubber bullets to intercept the first vehicle.
🇦🇺|•| NSW Police Public Order and Riot Squad arrested five men on George Street, Liverpool, following a tactical operation in Sydney’s southwest. Two vehicles were intercepted after intelligence suggested a potential violent act. Seven men are assisting police inquiries.… pic.twitter.com/rjIJTS9wcB
— WashingtonAmerica.Net (@WADailyNews) December 18, 2025
Five men were pulled onto the footpath and handcuffed with zip ties by the officers, videos circulating on social media showed.
A second vehicle, a Victorian-plated Toyota Yaris, was also intercepted a few minutes away, and two men were apprehended.
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“Tactical Operations police responded to information received that a violent act was possibly being planned,” NSW Police said in a statement.
Not linked to Bondi terror investigation
While the nature of the ‘violent act’ allegedly planned by the seven men has not been revealed, Australian media, citing officials, reported that it had no current link to the ongoing Bondi terror investigation.
The Sydney Morning Herald, citing unnamed NSW police officers, reported that a weapon may have been found in the car.
The group was flagged because they were known to authorities in Victoria, the report added.
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More raids will happen
Following the incident, Australian Federal Police (AFP) Commissioner Krissy Barrett said on Thursday morning that 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.
