Australia’s PM says alleged terrorist plot ‘deeply shocking’ after man’s arrest

2026-02-28 - 08:23

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there is no place in Australia for any kind of racially or religiously motivated prejudice or hate. (EPA Images pic) PERTH: The arrest of a man in Australia who allegedly planned a terrorist attack on public buildings and mosques was “deeply shocking”, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said late yesterday. The 20-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court yesterday, facing five charges, including one of acting in preparation for a terrorist act. It followed an investigation into his online activities and a search of the home in the small town of Bindoon, around 75km north of Perth. Western Australia Police Force said officers seized firearms, gas masks, a ballistic vest and a manifesto describing plans for a “mass casualty event” from the house where the man lived with his parents. Police said targets outlined in a notebook included Muslim places of worship, as well as Western Australia’s Parliament House and police headquarters. In a post on X late on Friday, Albanese said there was no place in Australia “for any kind of racially or religiously-motivated prejudice or hate”. “The arrest of a WA man over an alleged racially-motivated terrorist plot is deeply shocking,” he wrote. “Allegations the man was planning to target the Muslim community through attacks on mosques – as well as attacks on the WA police and parliament – are particularly distressing,” he said. The man is also facing charges for firearms offences, possession of a prohibited weapon and online harassment. Western Australia Police Commissioner Col Blanch said investigators believe the man was acting alone.