Telegram chat leads to WA terror arrest, police say

Police have charged 20-year-old Jayson Michaels, from Bindoon on Perth’s rural outskirts, with preparing an act of terrorism, the first such charge in WA.

Guns and knives were seized from his home, about 65 kilometres north-east of Perth.

He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court yesterday facing five charges.

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch confirmed on Sunday the investigation stemmed from intelligence gathered on a Telegram chat, with the man charged not previously known to police.

“We always get intelligence from a range of sources, but it was specifically in relation to the group on the Telegram app,” Mr Blanch said.

“We didn’t have any other intelligence other than that.”

He said the terror investigation would now “obtain all of the messages, extract all those messages and go through them one by one”.

Mr Michaels is the only Western Australian alleged to be part of the chat group, with police alleging members are from other parts of Australia and overseas.

Mr Blanch emphasised that the disruption demonstrated the strength of WA’s security and counterterrorism agencies.

“Our institutions are vigilant, are capable, are proactive, and the disruption of an alleged act before harm occurred is evidence that there are parts of the system that are working as they should,” he said.

“Western Australia is a safe state. And it’s not because threats never emerge, but it’s because when they do, they are addressed lawfully, decisively, and professionally.”

Mr Blanch also highlighted the role of extremist content, including white supremacist material, in online spaces.

He said while such ideologies are not widespread, recent incidents show they can feed into serious threats.

“This is the second incident of some level of white supremacy … it’s quite substantial,” he said.

He added that these acts represent only a very small minority of people, emphasising the broader community is overwhelmingly law-abiding.

“Sadly there is a very, very small minority that seek to do harm.

“What’s not Australian is preaching hate, saying hateful things and preaching division. That’s the least Australian thing we could ever have,” Mr Blanch said.

Police continue to investigate Mr Michaels’ communications and digital devices, as well as any possible influences from his wider circle, including family.

“Everyone in his circle of influence will no doubt be spoken to and asked relevant questions,” Mr Blanch said.

Senior government leaders, including the Premier, visited Perth Mosque in Northbridge today to meet with community representatives following a separate overnight incident, where a “white inert powder” was reportedly found on the mosque’s front steps.

Mr Blanch said CCTV footage is being analysed and the substance is not considered suspicious.

“We don’t know if it was in fact targeted at the mosque, but certainly given the location we are doing an investigation,” he said.

At a press briefing at the mosque on Sunday, the Premier said the incident would have “shocked members of the Islamic community to the core,” and reiterated the government’s commitment to a safe, tolerant, and inclusive Western Australia.

“Terrorism has no race. It has no culture. It has no religion. Terrorism is an act of hatred, of division, of trying to undermine our sense of security,” he said.

Imam Mohammed Shakib, of Perth Mosque, highlighted the long-standing presence of Muslims in WA and expressed concerns about Islamophobic rhetoric.

“Islamophobia has become so normalised it’s become mainstream,” Mr Shakib said.

“We hope going forward we as a community can work together to build a better state by understanding one another.”

The mosque, built in 1905 by Afghan cameleers, is regularly attended by professionals, doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, and business owners.

Mr Shakib praised WA Police for preventing what he said could have been “a stain on our state”.