<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has accused Peter Dutton of "deliberately" remaining in the dark on what police knew about a suspected caravan terror plot to score political points against Labor.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Australian Federal Police yesterday revealed a caravan found at Dural in Sydney's north-west in January was "part of a fabricated terrorism plot" aimed at causing fear in the Jewish community and there was no risk of a mass casualty event.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>When public details about the caravan were still unclear, the opposition leader used the situation to criticise Prime Minister </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/anthony-albanese" rel="" target="_blank" title="Anthony Albanese"><span>Anthony Albanese</span></a><span> about his apparent lack of knowledge over the perceived terror plot, describing it as an "absolute abrogation of his responsibility".</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/donald-trump-updates-malcolm-turnbull-comments-on-china-provoke-truth-social-response/ec64f988-dabf-4851-b5b3-fd751a987caa" target="_blank"><strong><span>Trump lashes out after Turnbull's hit on 'rude and abusive' president</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/anthony-albanese-explosives-caravan-comments-peter-dutton/f6e55537-57ed-4983-87e1-0136a1dd6746" rel="" target="_blank" title="The PM did not confirm when he was briefed"><span>The PM did not confirm when he was briefed</span></a><span> on the caravan's discovery and did not provide an update on the investigation.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Burke today said Dutton had not requested a briefing from the AFP after the caravan's discovery, which would have alleviated suspicion that a genuine terrorist attack was being planned.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"He deliberately chose to not find out," Burke told ABC Radio National.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/caravan-fake-terror-plot-tony-burke-accuses-peter-dutton-of-remaining-deliberately-in-the-dark/790bc3cc-5c3b-4dc3-aa77-3999bf80925d" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"And so what we had was a situation where quite deliberately, Peter Dutton made a decision to not find out the facts from the Australian Federal Police, to ignore the advice from ASIO in lowering the temperature, simply because it suited his self-promotion ambitions."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The immigration minister said Dutton's public message about the caravan spurred on organised crime groups, who wanted to weaponise information about alleged antisemitic attacks to negotiate reduced sentences.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"There are real consequences if you're not responsible with national security, and if he had to make a choice between self-promotion and national security, I'm pretty disappointed in the path that he chose," Burke said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Dutton's office denied this claim and told 9news.com.au he was briefed on January 30 after it was requested by the opposition, not offered.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/extropical-cyclone-alfred-police-rescue-woman-from-car-in-queensland-floodwaters/478f556c-3972-4307-8f11-5f3a43033004" target="_blank"><strong><span>Police wade through deep floodwaters to save woman trapped in car</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/donald-trump-updates-ontario-slaps-25-tax-increase-on-electricity-exports-to-us-in-response-to-trade-war/b90ed2f7-bf5f-444c-87b7-60f1b4bc1306" target="_blank"><strong><span>Canada slams US with 25% tax on electricity in trade war salvo</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson responded to Burke's accusation in a post on X.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"In a desperate attempt to distract from Labor's failures on national security Tony Burke has again misled the public," Paterson said</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The Opposition was briefed by the AFP on Thursday 30 Jan including myself, the Shadow AG and the Opposition Leader's office."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Paterson said in a separate post the concocted plot was still an extremely serious matter and that the PM should have been "promptly briefed" at the time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/terror-investigation-after-caravan-full-of-explosives-found-in-sydney/006d8749-3249-4586-ae8b-305c34922778" rel="" target="_blank" title="The caravan loaded with explosives and antisemitic material was found in Dural on January 19"><span>The caravan loaded with explosives and antisemitic material was found in Dural on January 19</span></a><span>, prompting an investigation under Operation Kissinger.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The AFP said any threat of a terrorist attack was mitigated "within hours" of the caravan being found.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Almost immediately, experienced investigators within the JCTT believed that the caravan was part of a fabricated terrorism plot – essentially a criminal con job," AFP Deputy Commissioner National Security Krissy Barrett said in a statement.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"This was because of the information they already had, how easily the caravan was found and how visible the explosives were in the caravan. Also, there was no detonator."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Barrett said the caravan was concocted by criminals who "wanted to cause fear for personal benefit".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>While no one has been arrested or charged in direct relation to the Dural caravan, police said they believe they know who was behind the plot.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></em></strong></a><strong><em><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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