Following a 16 month investigation, the Australian police have arrested today 17 persons in Melbourne and Sydney, who were allegedly stockpiling explosive chemicals for a major terrorist attack.
"We believe ... we've disrupted a large-scale operation which, had it been allowed to go through to fruition, we certainly believe
would have been catastrophic", New South Wales State Police Commissioner Ken Moroney told Australian television.
22 properties were raided by 400 police and intelligence officers, after PM John Howard had said last week that there were extremists living in Australia and that they were planning a terrorist attack.
The explosive chemicals discovered are similar to the ones used in the July 7 attacks in London, Ken Moroney stated.
Out of the 17 suspects detained, one is in critical condition, after being shot by the police.
According to the police representatives, the Sydney group, consisting of 8 persons, had tried to acquire chemical substances involved in the making of explosives, while the Melbourne one, consisting of 9 persons, had placed orders for equipment used in their handling.
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