Update on Bondi Beach Terrorist Attack Investigation: Charges Laid Against Naveed Akram

The New South Wales Police Force, in coordination with the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), provides the following update regarding the investigation into the mass shooting and terrorist act committed at Bondi Beach on Sunday.

On Wednesday, investigators charged 24-year-old Naveed Akram, a resident of Bonnyrigg, with 59 offences. These include:

• 15 counts of murder;
• One count of committing a terrorist act.

The prosecution alleges that the attack, which claimed 15 lives, was “inspired” by the Islamic State (IS). Evidence recovered from the suspects’ vehicle included two homemade Islamic State flags and improvised explosive devices.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and ASIO officials confirmed this week that Naveed Akram was the subject of a six-month investigation beginning in October 2019. This probe followed his involvement in street outreach (dawah) in Bankstown. At the time, the assessment concluded there was no indication of an ongoing threat or intent to engage in violence. This assessment is now being formally reviewed by internal oversight bodies.

A critical focus of the current investigation involves a four-week trip taken by Naveed and his father, Sajid Akram (50), to the Philippines on November 1, 2025.

• Location: The pair listed their destination as Davao, a city in close proximity to known terrorist activity in the country’s south.
• Funding: Investigators are tracing the use of annual leave entitlements Naveed requested from his employer shortly before the trip, citing a boxing injury that would allegedly prevent him from working until 2026.
• Timeline: The suspects returned to Australia just over a fortnight before the attack. They spent their final days at a short-term rental property in Campsie before traveling to Bondi Beach on Sunday.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the firearms used in the attack. Sajid Akram was granted a firearms license in 2023 and acquired six registered firearms over the following two years. Four of these weapons were recovered from the vehicle used in the attack.

In February 2024, Sajid transferred his share of the family’s Bonnyrigg property to his wife, a move currently being examined for potential relevance to his state of mind or planning.

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While a search of the Akram residence in Bonnyrigg was conducted on Sunday night, police reiterate that Naveed’s mother and other family members are not accused of any wrongdoing. New South Wales Police urge the public to refrain from “doxing” or targeting individuals associated with the suspects, as this interferes with the active judicial process.

The NSW Police Force continues to work with international partners in India and the Philippines to fully map the radicalization path of the accused.

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