Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Detective Sergeant (Rtd) Peter Moroney, New Holland, $29.99.
There is a lot of mystery that surrounds terrorism. Moroney tries to demystify it and give everyone a better understanding.
Here is an extraordinary story of the Australian Islamic terrorists and the people who stopped them. From June 2004 to their arrest in November 2005, nine men in NSW and 12 men in Victoria were at the centre of Australia’s largest and, at that time most significant counter-terrorism investigation.
These men planned to commit a devastating attack – designed to kill and maim men, women and children in this country. Australia’s law enforcement, intelligence and security organisations worked together to prevent that attack ever happening.
What made the difference ultimately was the investigators’ skill, together with their tenacity, grit and resolve to stop a significant terrorist act in Australia from taking place.
Moroney had been investigating terror activity in Australia since 2003. He helped uncover one of the country’s most significant terror plots and has written this detailed book about the investigation.
It describes his time in the squad, going behind the scenes of terrorism investigations and delving into the minds of terrorists themselves. Peter also reveals the shadowy world of how Australian teens are being radicalised.
“It looks at how Operation Pendennis unfolded, how it started and the 18 months it took us to gather enough evidence to move in and arrest them.”
A member of the NSW Police force for 17 years, Moroney had predominant experience in the field of criminal investigations and extensive experience in managing and conducting complete criminal investigations such as counter-terrorism, drugs, money laundering, organised crime and homicide.
The retired detective sergeant is the son of former NSW Police Commissioner Ken Moroney.
