An Australian teen is accused of of plotting to pack a kangaroo full of explosives before letting it loose on police officers during a Veterans’ Day ceremony last year. 19-year-old Sevdet Ramadan Besim allegedly discussed his Daesh-inspired plans with a British accomplice, but plead not guilty to the charges against him.
He stands accused of plotting attacks on remembrance services in Melbourne or the nearby city of Dandenong to mark the annual April 25 commemoration of the 1915 Gallipoli landings in Turkey, also known as Anzac Day. He has been in custody since he was arrested alongside four others a week before the Anzac services.
Prosecutors say that Besim discussed his plan in online conversations with a British accomplice. He allegedly planned to paint a Daesh symbol on the kangaroo, before letting it loose—packed with explosives—on Australian police officers.
Prosecutors say that he had been influenced by extremist ideology, including that of Daesh.
He is also accused of planning to run over with a car, then behead, a police officer, much in the style of the murder of Lee Rigby in 2013.
His alleged 15-year-old British accomplice was sentenced in October in the UK for his role in the plot, although he remains anonymous due to his age. He is not to be released until he no longer poses a danger to the public.
