Bondi Gunman Was on Counter-Terror Radar in 2022, New Documents Reveal

The single sharpest fact about the Bondi gunman, Naveed Akram, is that he was on the counter-terrorism radar in 2022, later than previously known. This information comes from new documents revealed by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

In a submission to the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, ASIO director-general Mike Burgess revealed Akram was subject to 'residual risk processes' in NSW in 2022, three years before the Bondi attack.

ASIO has previously confirmed it investigated Akram in 2019, but assessed that he didn't pose a terror threat at the time. Anyone investigated as a potential terror risk can be listed by authorities as a 'known entity'.

The federal government's national counter-terrorism plan spells out the lingering risk posed by people who have been investigated and found not to pose a threat at that time. Some people have undertaken attacks or attack planning years after a point-in-time assessment, which assessed that they didn't pose a threat or were deemed to be of a lower threat level compared with other individuals that security agencies were reviewing at that time.

Known entities are flagged in a database through the 'Known Entity Management Framework', which includes intelligence agencies and police forces across the country. It aims to identify signs of radicalisation or re-engagement with networks.

Responding to questions from the royal commission, Mr Burgess conceded there was scope to improve the system as it currently works. 'Naveed Akram had been subject to residual risk processes in NSW in 2022,' he said in the ASIO submission.

While I'm comfortable that reasonable judgements were formed through that process based on the known information, I would support a review of processes and supporting processes in each state and territory to ensure those processes remain fit for purpose, efficient and effective.

He suggested ensuring the current system aligns with best practice among Australia's Five Eyes partners - the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand. The redacted version of Mr Burgess's submission doesn't refer to the Known Entity Management Framework, and it's unclear if there were other 'residual risk processes'. However, the ABC has previously reported that Naveed Akram was on the Known Entity Management database, which was managed by NSW Police.

His listing was downgraded in the years before the Bondi attack, by which time he was no longer on the database. Authorities can prevent people from travelling abroad as part of the system, but Naveed Akram and his father, Sajid, were able to travel to Uzbekistan around 2022 and a former terror hotspot in the Philippines in the month before the massacre.

Mr Burgess said in the submission, 'I am informed that ASIO has never received a referral from a firearms licensing authority, and has never given a security assessment relating to a firearms licensing decision.'

Mr Burgess gave evidence to the royal commission yesterday, when matters relating to what was known about the Akrams ahead of the Bondi attack weren't raised. He revealed that after ASIO raised the terrorism threat level in 2024, the agency reviewed its caseload of known entities dating back 12 months, but a resourcing decision meant that it didn't extend to a re-examination of the Akrams.

The commission is investigating why the Akrams were never re-examined after ASIO's 2019 investigation. Mr Burgess is expected to give further evidence to the commission in closed hearings.

In the submission, Mr Burgess confirmed ASIO has never been consulted by a firearms registry on whether or not to issue a firearms license. Rules around firearms licensing have been reviewed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, after it was revealed the gunmen carried out the attack with firearms licensed to Sajid Akram.

Work is continuing on developing a national firearms registry, linking existing state and territory systems - some of which have until recently relied on paper documentation. The submission also revealed that ASIO has never been consulted by a firearms registry on whether or not to issue a firearms license.

The Bondi attack resulted in a review of the counter-terrorism system, with a focus on improving the management of known entities. The royal commission's investigation into the attack is ongoing, with Mr Burgess expected to give further evidence in closed hearings.

As the investigation continues, authorities are working to develop a national firearms registry and improve the system for managing known entities. The case highlights the need for effective communication and information sharing between intelligence agencies and police forces.

In the aftermath of the attack, the community is left to pick up the pieces and ask questions about how this could have happened. The ongoing investigation and review of the counter-terrorism system aim to provide answers and prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The community won't have all the answers immediately, but they'll learn more as the investigation unfolds.