'Leave no stone unturned'Strike Force Pearl breakthrough

Two arrested over arson at Newtown Synagogue

"They are watching you and you will be caught if you intend to commit one of these heinous crimes," Police Minister Yasmin Catley warned.

NSW Police are being criticised for inaction over an alleged antisemitic incident. A second man has been arrested for allegedly trying to set a synagogue alight in Sydney's Inner West. Photo: NSW Police
NSW Police are being criticised for inaction over an alleged antisemitic incident. A second man has been arrested for allegedly trying to set a synagogue alight in Sydney's Inner West. Photo: NSW Police

A second man has been arrested for allegedly trying to set Newtown Synagogue alight in Sydney’s Inner West earlier this month.

Initial inquiries revealed two people attended the synagogue on the morning of January 11 and allegedly spray-painted graffiti on the building and fence, while also attempting to light the premises on fire.

Strike Force Pearl detectives stormed two addresses on Pyrmont Bridge Road in Camperdown on Tuesday and arrested 33-year-old Adam Moule. He was charged with property damage offences, possessing suspected stolen goods, and cultivating an illegal plant and remains before the court.

Photo: NSW Police

Following further inquiries, Strike Force Pearl detectives attended a hotel on Pyrmont Street, Darling Harbour, on Thursday and with the assistance of specialist police, a 37-year-old man was arrested.

It is the 10th arrest under Strike Force Pearl, which was set up by counter-terror and special tactics officers in December to investigate hate crimes, focusing on antisemitic attacks, across Sydney.

The nine accused, aged between 19 and 40, remain before the courts.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley also announced that Strike Force Pearl resources have been bolstered with an extra 20 detectives, while there is additional proactive policing all areas where there are large Jewish communities.

“They are watching you and you will be caught if you intend to commit one of these heinous crimes,” Catley warned.

Newtown Synagogue was recently vandalised.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president David Ossip welcomed news of the arrest.

“Arrests like these are essential to restoring deterrence and rebuilding community confidence,” he said.

“The terrorists allegedly responsible for these attacks must now face the full force of the law. We thank NSW Police and other law enforcement agencies for their continued efforts and the resources they are dedicating to these investigations.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns, Catley and Police Commissioner Karen Webb warned those who have perpetrated attacks, or who are thinking of carrying out antisemitic attacks, that they will face the full force of the law.

“We will leave no stone unturned in combating rampant antisemitism and violence in our community. It will never be tolerated,” said Minns.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that civic leaders and the leaders of NSW stand united against this kind of fear and intimidation – this deliberate attempt to strike terror into the hearts of people that live in this state and together as a community we will overcome it.

“If you are responsible for these criminal activities, you can expect police to be visiting you soon.

“This is not the end of these arrests. Operation Pearl is just getting started.”

A burnt out car with antisemitic graffiti is towed away in Dover Heights, Sydney, Friday, January 17, 2025. Photo: AAP Image/Neve Brissendeni

Minns also announced NSW Police will appeal the 10-month sentence handed down to one of the individuals in connection to the fire at Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Bondi.

Four men were charged following a series of suspicious fires at both the kosher takeaway restaurant and nearby Curly Lewis Brewing Company last year, but Minns said the measly sentence sends “the wrong message”.

“The person who has been charged, that offence carries a 10-year jail sentence and the individual was handed a 10-month sentence, so I can tell you all today that NSW Police are appealing that sentence,” Minns told reporters.

“We need to send a strong and unambiguous message that you will face the full force of the law. We expect, and we hope, that when police do the job of arresting these individuals and putting them before the courts, significant sentences are handed down. How else can we send the message to potential alleged offenders that this will not be tolerated and also send an unambiguous message to the community that we’ve got your back?

“The book will be thrown at them.”

The offensive message scrawled on Southern Sydney Synagogue.

It comes as the Australian Federal Police are investigating whether overseas actors have paid local criminals to carry out antisemitic attacks, with Commisioner Webb confirming NSW Police will work “with our national counterparts”.

“We all have to keep an open mind and we shouldn’t rule out anything, but we also shouldn’t make that our only line of inquiry,” she said.

Commissioner Webb also said there were strong leads on the attack on the synagogue in Allawah and a daycare fire at Maroubra.

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