The seven men arrested in a dramatic operation in Sydney's south-west have been released from police custody without charge.
Speaking to reporters after their releae, the men denied any wrongdoing, claiming that they arrived from Victoria two days ago for a holiday.
The men told police they were on their way to a short-term rental before they were intercepted.
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Police lacked sufficient evidence to charge the men with any offences, and they were released earlier today.
"We didn't do nothing wrong. There was nothing found on us," one of the men told reporters.
"Why are we here? If we got terrorism charges, I'd be locked up right now."
Police have said they will monitor the men for the rest of their time in Sydney.
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Five of the men were arrested after a car was rammed by tactical police on the corner of George and Campbell streets in Liverpool, just across the road from a busy Westfield shopping centre, with the other two men stopped in a second car nearby.
Police said they had received information that "a violent act was possibly being planned" but they had not found any connection "to the current police investigation into the Bondi terror attack".
Lanyon confirmed the men travelled from Victoria, and investigators were "certainly looking at" radical Islamic extremism as "one of the ideologies" potentially motivating the men who were known to Victorian Police.
"Whilst this specific threat posed by the males is unknown, I can say that the potential of a violent offence being committed was such that we were not prepared to tolerate the risk and interdict accordingly," Lanyon said.
"The information received was that Bondi may have been one of a number of locations that the males were intending to attend, but the reason for attending is unknown."
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This morning, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told the ABC the men may have shared beliefs with the father and son behind Sunday's terror attack and confirmed the cars may have been travelling to Bondi.
"We have some indication that Bondi was one of the locations they might be visiting yesterday, but with no specific intent in mind or proven at this stage," he said.
When asked whether the men had links to "extremist Islamic ideology", Hudson replied: "That's our belief at this stage, yes".
Hudson earlier told 2GB radio the potential of the men travelling to Bondi was part of the reason for the police intervention.
"That did cause us some concern, obviously, and was one of the escalating factors that caused the interdiction yesterday," Hudson said.
"But I can confirm no firearms or weapons were located at the vehicle stop."
Police have not established any definitive link to the individuals involved in the Bondi mass shooting at this stage.
"However, there is an environment that is quite small, and certain ideologies and beliefs are limited to a very small group of people," Hudson said.
"So whilst there's no definitive links, that's part of our investigation which hopefully gets better defined by the end of the day."
Police applied for a Commonwealth detention order, which allows officers to hold the men for 24 hours without charge.
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Video footage from the operation shows police – armed with long-arm guns, and wearing camouflage fatigues, body armour and helmets – arresting, searching and handcuffing the men yesterday afternoon.
It appeared that the men's car had been intercepted and rammed to a stop.
One of the men was seen on a stretcher, with a bloodied face and bandages around his head.
"Tactical Operations police responded to information received that a violent act was possibly being planned," NSW Police said in a statement.
"Police subsequently intercepted two cars as part of the investigation.
"As investigations continue, seven men are assisting police with their inquiries.
"At this point in time, police have not identified any connection to the current police investigation of the Bondi terror attack."
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