SYDNEY (The Thursday Times) — Australian and Philippine authorities are scrutinising an overseas trip taken by the man accused of carrying out the Bondi Beach shooting, after new details emerged about his travel to the Philippines weeks before the attack.
According to information reported by Reuters, Sajid Akram, identified by investigators as the Bondi Beach shooter, travelled from Sydney to Manila on November 1 before continuing to the southern Philippine city of Davao. Officials said Sajid Akram, an Indian national, entered the country using an Indian passport, while his son, Naveed Akram, who accompanied him on the journey, travelled on an Australian passport.
Philippine immigration authorities confirmed that both men declared Davao as their destination and remained in the country for most of November. According to reporting by ABC News, a senior counter terrorism official, said the pair later moved within the southern Philippines and were suspected of undergoing militant style training, a claim that remains under investigation.
The Philippines Bureau of Immigration said the two men left the country on November 28, travelling from Davao to Manila before boarding a connecting flight back to Sydney. Officials stressed that the purpose of the trip is still being examined and that no definitive conclusions have yet been drawn.
Australian authorities are now assessing whether the November visit had any bearing on the planning or execution of the Bondi Beach attack, as intelligence agencies from both countries deepen cooperation on the case. The revelations have broadened the investigation beyond Australia’s borders and renewed focus on international travel patterns linked to violent extremism.
