The SIS and their little helpers at the Disinformation Project issued a set of things that help identify potential terrorists and spreaders of disinformation. They include being into yoga, knitting, using Instagram and Pinterest, and braiding children’s hair with flowers. Also knitting sweaters for goats was in there somewhere. But did the un-named terrorist currently before the courts do yoga and knitting? Apparently not:
About four years after he took an interest in Middle East conflicts and subsequently became radicalised online, a North Shore teen confided to a person he had recently met on social media that he was ready to take the next step – an attack in Auckland that he hoped would kill 20-30 non-Muslims.
The ongoing conversation, with what turned out to be an undercover police officer, lasted about a month and included the teen sharing a list of his potential attack sites and extensive details about how he might carry it out.
But police brought what was known as Operation Strand to a quick conclusion in September last year, just days after an unrelated terror attack in a New Lynn supermarket saw several shoppers stabbed.
“The defendant messaged [undercover officer] Ozarikon and stated that he felt inspired by the attack and wished to bring the attack forward,” according to court documents released to the Herald today, shedding new light on what has until now been a secretive case.
The man, now 20 and with ongoing name suppression, pleaded guilty yesterday to one count of threatening to kill, two counts of supplying objectionable publications and six counts of possession of objectionable publications.
He faces up to 14 years in prison when he is sentenced in the High Court at Auckland next year before Justice Rebecca Edwards.
NZ Herald
So, no yoga, knitting, Instagram, Pinterest, definitely not a Christian, not white, not a mother nor does traditional mothering things, no inclination he likes interior design, unless exploding a suicide vest and splattering his insides all over a building counts, and no pseudo-Celtic, pseudo-nordic ideology.
Nope, not a single one of the indicators; just normal, run-of-the-mill Islamic terrorist ideology wanting to kill infidels – nothing to see here.
Police executed a search warrant at the teen’s home on September 8, 2021, confirming many of the details that had been discussed by the defendant in previous weeks of online chats.
In his bedroom was found one of the ingredients used to make triacetone triperoxide – better known by the acronym TATP – an unstable explosive compound often favoured by suicide bombers.
Police also gained access to his Google Cloud account, which included folders titled “Terror plot Recons” and “ISIS supporter-recruit”.
In the recruit folder were videos in which the teen swore allegiance to the Islamic State and claimed “Jihad and retribution against the New Zealand government and New Zealand Society and in general against the West”.
“The defendant states that he is ready for martyrdom and will commit a terror attack after he has done more research,” court documents indicate.
The “Terror plot Recons” folder included photos, seemingly taken from the internet, of locations such as Auckland Town Hall, Spark Arena, SkyCity and multiple restaurants. The folder also included diary entries in which the teen referred to having visited Auckland Airport, Albany Westfield mall and other locations for reconnaissance purposes.
“Throughout the diary entries the defendant states his intent to kill multiple people by committing a terror attack in Auckland City,” court documents state.
Additional folders were titled “3D Firearms Manufacture”, “Bomb Instructions” and “Knives and Knife combat training”.
Police were first made aware of the teen in June 2021 due to his social media behaviour. One account showed he was following accounts known to share ISIS material.
NZ Herald
Still none of the indicators, just a bad actor doing bad things. These are the people the SIS needs to focus on, not people who live in yurts and like to knit.
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