Australian authorities have recently released seven men who had been under detention due to suspicions of planning a violent act. As of now, no formal charges have been brought against them.

The New South Wales (NSW) Police, on Thursday, detailed an operation conducted by Tactical Operations officers in Sydney. Acting on intelligence suggesting the possibility of a violent event, officers intercepted two vehicles and took seven men into custody.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a statement from the NSW Police emphasized swift action to thwart the potential threat. They reassured the public, saying, “There is no immediate safety risk to the community.” The statement also noted that investigations are ongoing as authorities continue to examine all evidence related to the incident.

In a related development, a police investigation took place at Bondi Beach, Sydney, following a shooting incident there on December 15, 2025. The scene was carefully scrutinized as part of the broader inquiry into related activities. (David Gray/AFP via Getty Images)

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson addressed media concerns on Friday, drawing a connection between the detained men and the ideology associated with the suspected gunmen at Bondi Beach. He defended the police’s approach, describing the tactics employed as “the most appropriate for the circumstances,” as reported by the Sydney Morning Herald.

“It’s a balance when you investigate, for investigators and for the counter-terrorism police, as to interdicting at a point in time where you mitigate all risk and threat, which we did yesterday, or waiting until you can get a brief of evidence against individuals with a bow on it that you can present to court,” Hudson said.

Some reports indicated that the men were traveling from Melbourne to Bondi Beach, the site of a deadly mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration. However, when speaking to reporters after the group’s release, one of the men refuted the claims, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

“No, why would we go there? Too much headache… it was too far from where we were anyway,” he said.

Police walk on a street after a shooting incident at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14, 2025. (DAVID GRAY / AFP via Getty Images)

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that the men, whose ages range from 19 to 24 and are from Victoria, will continue to be monitored while in New South Wales. Lanyon also said that NSW Police would be working with their law enforcement counterparts in Victoria.

One of the men in the group was under investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), intelligence sources confirmed to the ABC.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said it was too early to speculate on why the group was traveling in the area.

“We’ve all seen the footage and the images of what has occurred and thank [NSW police] for their swift action,” she said, according to The Guardian. “But at this stage, there was just not enough information to speculate on why these people were traveling in this vehicle in this vicinity.”

A woman kneels and prays at a flower memorial to shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, a day after a shooting. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)

Australian outlets reported that one of the men chalked the incident up to a “misunderstanding.” He also said the group told police that they were “here for a holiday.”

“They have their job to do, I don’t blame them for nothing, it was a misunderstanding,” the man said. He also rejected the idea that the group held extremist beliefs.