NBI probing alleged visit of Bondi Beach gunmen to PH

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is now investigating the visit of two individuals who were identified as the gunmen behind the deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, spokesperson Palmer Mallari said Tuesday.

“The NBI, through its Counter Terrorism Division (CTD), motu proprio, is looking into the matter without having to wait for a request from Australian authorities,” Mallari said in a message to reporters.

He said the CTD is coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration (BI), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and NBI regional and district offices in order to backtrack the activities of the two shooters.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval has said that 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed Akram arrived in the Philippines from Sydney on November 1.

She said both men reported Davao as their final destination.

They then left the country on November 28 on a connecting flight from Davao to Manila, with Sydney as their final destination.

Law enforcement authorities abroad are reportedly investigating why the pair traveled to the Philippines.

On December 14, gunmen opened fire at a Jewish holiday celebration at Bondi Beach, killing 15 people. The death toll climbed to 16 after one of the gunmen was killed. It is the second deadliest mas shooting in Australian history. —RF, GMA Integrated News