Key dates: 03/8/11
Other similar past weirdness: Brian Wells bank robbery, August 28, 2003
Source 1: http://news.sky.com/home/world-news/article/16042941
Breaking News
2:09pm UK, Wednesday August 03, 2011
'Bomb Strapped To Oz Teenager's Neck'
Australian police are battling to defuse a suspected bomb believed to be strapped to a teenage girl's neck at her multimillion-dollar mansion in Sydney.
A senior police source told The Sydney Daily Telegraph that authorities believed she was the victim of an extortion attempt to get money out of her businessman father.
He also described the device to the newspaper as an unusual "collar bomb" which has never been seen before in Australia.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that a balaclava-clad man had entered the house in the afternoon and attached the device with a ransom note around the girl's neck.
Police would not confirm the reports, but said the incident was "not being treated as self-harm".
Bomb squad officers swarmed the property in the plush harbourside suburb of Mosman after an 18-year-old girl called police "following the discovery of a suspicious device".
Police have reportedly been at the scene for seven hours and say the girl remains calm and is cooperating with them as they work to determine what the item is.
Her parents are outside the house with officers receiving regular updates, police said.
At a news conference, New South Wales assistant police commissioner Mark Murdoch described the situation as a "very serious and sensitive matter".
"We are still treating the suspicious package as live," he said. "I can't confirm whether it is strapped to the woman involved but she is still in the vicinity of the device."
When asked whether the girl could move away from the bomb, Mr Murdoch said: "No, she can't get away from it."
Australian Police's assistant commissioner Mark Murdoch addresses the media at the scene of a Sydney home where an 18-year old girl is believed to have had a bomb strapped to her.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch talks to the media about the bomb threat
He said he could not elaborate except to say a "delicate operation" was in progress.
He added: "There are operational reasons for playing our cards pretty close to our chest.
"The young lady is fine and doing her best to assist the police to find out exactly what's gone on."
The girl is understood to be part of one of Sydney's wealthiest families and is in her final year of high school.
Surrounding homes have been evacuated and several nearby streets have been closed to traffic.
Ambulance and fire crews are also on standby in the area.
Source 2: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1033867--police-trying-to-defuse-bomb-strapped-to-teen-girl-in-sydney-reports?bn=1
[/quote]Police trying to defuse bomb strapped to teen girl in Sydney: reports
August 03, 2011
A police officer wearing protective gear at the scene of a bomb scare in a neighbourhood of multimillion-dollar properties on Sydney’s north shore.
TIM WIMBORNE/REUTERS
SYDNEY — A police bomb squad was inside a house in a wealthy suburb with a teenage girl in the “near vicinity” of a live bomb, authorities said Wednesday.
Nearby streets have been evacuated in the neighbourhood of multimillion-dollar properties on Sydney’s north shore.
“The young lady at this particular point in time is fine and assisting the police to find out what is going on,” Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said at the scene at about 6:30 a.m. Toronto time.
“The device is still being examined as we speak. We are treating the device as live until we know otherwise. She is in the house with a couple of negotiators and bomb technicians.”
The girl had been in a front room of the house, unable to move, for six hours when Murdoch held his news conference.
Murdoch refused to speak to reports the bomb was strapped to the 18-year-old’s neck. But he did say she couldn’t get away from the bomb.
“Our initial responders found a young woman alone in the house with a suspicious package,” he said.
“You will be very well aware this is a very sensitive matter. We need to hasten slowly.
“The investigation is being led by the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad, and they are the detectives that deal with extortion amongst other things.”
He asked for the public’s help in reporting anything suspicious in the neighbourhood around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday local time, when police were called to the house.
The girl, who turned 18 just weeks ago, belongs to one of Sydney's wealthiest families, the Sydney Daily Telegraph reported.
The Telegraph is also reporting a ransom note is attached to the girl's neck.
“Her parents are with us, we are keeping them up to date with what's going on,” the Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted Murdoch as saying.
“The only persons that the young girl is dealing with at this particular point in time are police negotiators.”
A senior police officer described the device as an unusual “collar bomb” which has never been seen before in Australia, the newspaper said
He said they believed it was an extortion attempt and that the initial details of the situation were being conveyed to police via the girl's father.
With files from The Associated Press
