Dural caravan ‘terror plot’
NOTE: Police first treated this as a possible terror plot and later said it was a fabricated plot set up by organised criminals. Both stages are documented below.
On 19 January 2025, a caravan was found in Dural, in Sydney's north-west, containing power gel explosives along with a document with antisemitic material and a list of targets. ABC reported that police said the explosives could have caused a "mass casualty event" with a blast zone of more than 40 metres, although no detonator was found. The discovery became public 10 days later, after it was leaked to a Sydney newspaper. NSW Premier Chris Minns said: "This is the discovery of a potential mass casualty event. There's only one way of calling it out and that is terrorism." Asked on ABC Radio Sydney whether he agreed, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "I certainly do," and added that "it hasn't been designated yet by the NSW Police". ASIO said it did "not believe there is an ongoing threat to public safety".
On 10 March 2025, AFP Deputy Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the caravan "was never going to cause a mass casualty event but instead was concocted by criminals who wanted to cause fear for personal benefit." She said that "almost immediately" Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigators believed it was "a fabricated terrorism plot – essentially a criminal con job". She cited "how easily the caravan was found and how visible the explosives were", and the fact that "there was no detonator". She said: "We believe the person pulling the strings wanted changes to their criminal status." She also said the scheme "has had a chilling effect on the Jewish community." NSW Deputy Commissioner David Hudson said the Strike Force Pearl incidents and the caravan "are all being orchestrated by the same individuals". He also said none of those arrested under Strike Force Pearl "have displayed any form of antisemitic ideology".
In May 2025, Sayit Akca, whom the Guardian described as the alleged mastermind, told ABC's Four Corners: "I actually picked Dural". He said he had the caravan moved and told the AFP in order to gain lenient treatment, and he denied the wider allegations. The AFP said he had been charged over an alleged drug importation and was accused of leaving Australia while on bail. NSW Police said some people connected to the investigation had been charged.
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