Australian authorities have released seven men who were held for fear of planning a violent act. The men are not currently facing charges.
On Thursday, New South Wales (NSW) Police said tactical operations officers conducted an operation in Sydney based on information indicating a possible violent act was being planned. Officers intercepted two cars and arrested seven men.
“Police acted quickly to prevent any plan from progressing. There is no immediate safety risk to the community,” NSW Police said. Sydney Morning Herald. “The investigation will continue to assess all available evidence and the investigation into the matter remains ongoing.”
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Police inspect the scene of a shooting on Sydney’s Bondi Beach on December 15, 2025. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson, who on Friday claimed the men were inspired by the same ideology as the suspected Bondi Beach gunmen, defended the officers’ tactics, saying they were “best suited to the circumstances”, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“It’s a balance when you’re doing investigations, for investigators and for counter-terrorism police, when it comes to interdicting at a time when you’re mitigating all the risks and threats, which we did yesterday, or waiting until you can get a brief of evidence against individuals with a bow on it that you can present in court,” Hudson said.
Some reports indicated the men traveled from Melbourne to Bondi Beach, the site of a deadly mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration. However, when one of the men spoke to reporters after the release, he refuted the claims, the newspaper said Australian broadcaster (ABC).
“No, why would we go there? Too much of a headache… it was too far from where we were anyway,” he said.
Police walk the streets after a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images)
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NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said the men, whose ages range from 19 to 24 and are from Victoria, would continue to be monitored in New South Wales. Lanyon also said NSW Police would work with their law enforcement colleagues in Victoria.
One of the men in the group was under investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), intelligence sources have confirmed to the ABC.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it was too early to speculate on why the group was traveling through the area.
“We have all seen the footage and the footage of what happened and say thank you [NSW police] for their quick action,” she said according to The Guardian. “But at this stage there just wasn’t enough information to speculate on why these people were traveling in this vehicle in this area.”
A woman kneels and prays at a floral memorial for the shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion on Bondi Beach in Sydney, Monday, December 15, 2025, a day after a shooting. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)
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Australian media reported that one of the men attributed the incident to a ‘misunderstanding’. He also said the group told police they were “here for a vacation.”
“They have their job to do, I don’t blame them, it was a misunderstanding,” the man said. He also rejected the idea that the group had extremist beliefs.
