NSW: Men googled "How to blow up ATMs", police say

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2007
NSW: Men googled "How to blow up ATMs", police say

Eds: Attention to language in 10th and 11th pars



By Simon Kirby

SYDNEY, Aug 29 AAP - Three Sydney men charged with conspiring to blow up ATMs with
powerful homemade explosive, obtained information on how to do it from the internet, police
say.

The men, who were among five arrested yesterday in a joint operation by federal and
NSW police, were denied bail by a Sydney court today.

Fadi Bassil, 20, from Lakemba, Elias Taouk, 19, from Kingsgrove, and Badawi Nassour,
20, of Greenacre, were all remanded in custody until October 23.

A fourth man, Linley Desire Jose Anthony, was refused bail when he appeared in the
same court yesterday. The fifth was released after questioning by police.

Police said the arrests followed a tip-off from Northern Territory authorities about
the purchase of otherwise legal chemicals that could be used in the manufacture of nitro-glycerine.

Police documents tendered in Sydney Central Local Court said the men bought 23 litres
of chemicals as well as mixing equipment such as beakers, thermometers and droppers from
a Darwin company.

The products could have been used to manufacture up to 40kg of nitro-glycerine.

Police said internet surveillance revealed that Bassil had googled "how to blow up
ATM machines" and "how much money is kept in bank ATMs".

The men also had googled a recipe for the explosives, and eventually gained all they
needed from the internet in terms of knowledge and know-how to carry out the job, police
said.

They said the men discussed by mobile phone and SMS how to best mix the chemicals to
form the explosive and when and where to carry out tests, using fireworks as detonators.

In an intercepted phone conversation, Bassil appeared excited about the explosions.

"F*** it, I want to test that shit," the document quoted Bassil as saying.

"I really want to test that shit ... I'm f***ing dying to bro, do you understand?"

Taouk was intercepted fantasising about what he would do with the loot from the planned
robberies.

"Taouk said he couldn't wait to be on video and couldn't wait until he parked his Porsche
in front of Roxy's (nightclub) in Parramatta," the police documents stated.

Magistrate Paul Lyon, in refusing bail, said "the sheer volume of the substance takes
it into the serious category".

AAP sk/sg/was/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: EXPLOSIVE

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.