
Two men have been charged with planning a terrorist act by police investigating an alleged Sydney-based plot to bring down a plane.
A 49-year-old Lakemba man and 32-year-old Punchbowl man have each been charged with two counts of acting in preparation for a terrorist act, Australian Federal Police said in a statement released on Thursday night.
Both are scheduled to appear before Parramatta Court on Friday morning, and the maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment.
A third man remains behind bars, held under special anti-terror laws, while police investigations continue. He can be detained until the weekend under the current ruling.
BREAKING: UPDATE – Two Sydney men charged over planned terrorist acts. https://t.co/t8MgHloKXi
— AFP (@AusFedPolice) August 3, 2017
Earlier on Thursday, senior police foreshadowed the charges with NSW commissioner Mick Fuller describing the evidence as “very strong”.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull echoed his words.
“Investigations have proceeded very well in terms of uncovering evidence,” he told reporters in Perth on Thursday.
“The police have uncovered very substantial evidence.”