TRANSCRIPT:
It was a discovery in the Sydney suburb of Dural earlier this year that shocked Australia and its leaders, including New South Wales Premier Chris Minns: a caravan laden with explosives and an apparent note with Jewish targets.
"A very serious ongoing inquiry into a potential terrorist event in NSW. This represents undeniably an escalation in race-filled hatred and violence in NSW."
A taskforce named Strike Force Pearl has been investigating these incidents - and on Monday, 200 officers conducted raids across Sydney, arresting 14 and laying 49 charges.
"Police. Search warrant. Open the door."
None of the arrests are in connection with the Dural caravan.
But investigators say they have still reached a stunning conclusion - that it was a criminal con job.
Australian Federal Police deputy commissioner Krissy Barrett says they will allege the caravan was part of a concocted plot that criminals had come up with to cause fear for their own benefit.
"Put simply: the plan was the following: organise for someone to buy a caravan, place it with explosives and written material of an antisemitic nature, leave it in a specific location, and then once that happened inform law enforcement of an impending attack against Jewish Australians. We believe the person pulling the strings wanted changes to their criminal status, but maintained a distance from their scheme and hired alleged local criminals to carry out parts of their plan."
Ms Barrett says measures are already in place regarding the person allegedly responsible for the plot.
"An AFP operational strategy is in place to take action against this individual and I won't make any further comment on that today."
Deputy New South Wales Police Commissioner David Hudson meanwhile says the investigation into the Dural caravan and other alleged antisemitic incidents are ongoing.
"We don't believe there is any ongoing threat to the community from a terrorist act. However outside of (Strike Force) Pearl, we are continuing to see antisemitic incidents and each of these will be fully investigated."
The reaction from the government and community has been swift.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says the caravan might not have been intended for an actual attack.
But he says the alleged plot has already caused untold harm.
"Organised crime have managed to cause the Jewish community in Australia to feel genuine fear, and have caused other communities including the Muslim community, to receive blame and suspicion they did not deserve."
New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies President David Ossip has released a statement saying the findings of the investigation should not diminish the fear and anxiety the Jewish community has been experiencing.
He says record levels of antisemitism have still been recorded over the past 18 months in Australia.
Alex Ryvchin from the Executive Council of Australian Jewry says the inquiry's finding raises more questions than it answers.
"I think it adds an additional dose of complexity and uncertainty to the whole story. It certainly won't lead to a mass outpouring of relief among the Jewish community, I can tell you that."
