CSG warned police about alleged Bondi gunman years before massacre

The Jewish community security group (CSG) warned NSW Police about alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram years before the Bondi Beach terror attack, according to a 2019 email.

CSG raised concerns with NSW Police counterterrorism officers about a street preaching network in Sydney’s south-west and identified Akram and others as involved.

The email, sent in July 2019 and reported by the Sydney Morning Herald and ABC, named Akram in connection with Bankstown Dawah, a Salafi street preaching group. It was addressed to two NSW Police inspectors working in intervention and terrorism intelligence.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the email as stating, ‘Please be aware of Salafi organisation ‘Bankstown Dawah’, which maintains concerning membership and activity in Sydney.’ It added, “Other closely associated individuals include Naveed AKRAM.”

The ABC confirmed it had seen the email and noted that CSG warned counterterrorism officers about the group and identified Akram among those involved. The warning was sent a week after counterterrorism units arrested individuals later convicted as Islamic State supporters.

CSG also identified other figures, including Joseph “Youssif” Saadieh, Radwan Dakkak and Youssef Uweinat, who have links to Islamic State-related offending.

Photographs from 2019 showed Akram with the Street Dawah Movement group. The group later distanced itself from him, describing him as a visitor who had passed through in 2019 as a teenager.

The warning has prompted questions about what information NSW Police held, what was shared with federal agencies, and whether intelligence on Akram was properly assessed before the attack.

It is reported that the CSG warning reached NSW Police months before federal authorities, including ASIO, officially became aware of Akram. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had previously said Akram first came to attention in October 2019, highlighting a possible gap between state and federal counterterrorism systems.

Akram and his father, Sajid Akram, came to the attention of authorities through a Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigation. ASIO assessed them in 2020 as not adhering to or intending to engage in violent extremism.

Sajid Akram was granted a firearms licence in 2023 by the NSW Firearms Registry. NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon initially said he had held a licence since 2015 but later clarified that an earlier application was approved but not completed, with the licence issued in 2023.

Sajid Akram legally owned six firearms at the time of the attack. Police said long-arm firearms were used in the shooting, and all firearms were seized afterwards.

On 14 December 2025, Naveed and Sajid Akram opened fire on people attending Chanukah by the Sea at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people and injuring dozens more. Sajid Akram was shot dead by police at the scene. Naveed Akram was wounded and later charged.

Naveed Akram faces 59 charges, including 15 counts of murder, committing a terrorist act, and 40 counts of causing wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent to murder. The matter remains before the courts.

Police have alleged the attack was inspired by Islamic State. NSW Police said early indications pointed to a terrorist attack linked to Islamic State ideology, carried out to advance a religious cause and instil fear in the community.

These revelations follow earlier reports that CSG NSW warned police before the Chanukah by the Sea event that the public Jewish festival carried a high risk.

A leaked CSG document dated 26 November warned of violent antisemitism during Chanukah, citing Islamic extremism and the risk of jihadist-inspired lone-actor attacks. CSG NSW told police the Bondi event carried a high risk and requested more police presence for the duration.

The document noted that the NSW Jewish community was experiencing unprecedented levels of vilification and a significant rise in incidents. It also referenced ASIO’s 2025 annual threat assessment and the ongoing risk of lone-actor attacks inspired by global jihadist propaganda.

Reports vary on the number of police officers at the event when the attack began. The ABC reported that Premier Chris Minns stated at least three officers were at the park.

NSW Police have declined to comment on the 2019 email, citing the ongoing criminal investigation, coronial process and Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion.

The royal commission’s interim report, tabled on 30 April 2026, examined the circumstances of the Bondi attack and made 14 recommendations. A chapter on intelligence and law enforcement activity remains classified while criminal proceedings continue.

The public report recommended that NSW Police procedures for Jewish high holy days be extended to other major Jewish festivals and public events, particularly those with a visible community presence.

The commission’s next block of hearings, due to begin on 25 May, will focus on the Bondi attack. This includes what security and intelligence agencies knew about the attackers, information sharing, firearms licensing decisions, and security arrangements for Chanukah by the Sea.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has said the government is discussing with CSG whether its personnel should be allowed to carry weapons at Jewish public events. CSG personnel are already permitted to be armed at Jewish places of worship and schools, but any expansion to public events would require further government approval.

CSG has been approached for comment.