Bondi Beach Gunmen’s Sinister Philippine Trail: Mobile Phone Data Reveals Chilling Clues
- Philippine police reveal Naveed and Sajid Akram used mobile phone outside of Davao City, sparking fears of Islamic State links
- Gunmen visited gun shop, Islamic centre, and beachside resort in Davao, raising questions over their true intentions
- Chilling mobile phone data suggests the pair may have travelled to region where Islamic State-aligned militants operate
In a shocking twist, Philippine police have revealed that the Bondi Beach gunmen, Naveed and Sajid Akram, used their mobile phone not once, but twice, outside of Davao City, sparking fears of possible Islamic State links. The new evidence has sent investigators scrambling to uncover the truth behind the pair’s 28-day Philippine escapade.
A senior Philippine police investigator, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that the mobile phone data suggests the Akrams may have ventured beyond Davao City. “We have also received information they [used a] cell phone in other areas of Mindanao. I think they were twice detected in other areas,” the source said.
As authorities pieced together the Akrams’ Philippine trail, a disturbing picture emerged. The duo reportedly visited a gun shop, an Islamic centre, an ATM, and a beachside resort in Davao City. The police source revealed that the pair stopped by a local outlet of Shooters Guns & Ammo Corp, the largest gun retail franchise in the Philippines. “They went to the gun store … the father was just looking around inside the store. They only visited there,” the source said.
In a further eerie development, the Akrams paid a visit to the Seagull White Sand Beach Resort, roughly 7.5 kilometres away from their hotel. They also stopped by an RCBC bank ATM and an Islamic centre called the Mercy Islamic Foundation, located a 20-minute walk from their hotel.
Philippine authorities are still grappling to understand the true motives behind the Akrams’ Philippine visit. “We are still trying to find out their activities … things that they are doing here in Davao City,” the police source said. “We’re checking the other areas that our sources said they went.”
As the investigation deepens, the long shadow of the Bondi shooting has cast a dark cloud over the coastal southern Philippines, stoking long-held anxieties over terrorist groups in the region. The region of Mindanao, which encompasses Davao, has struggled with Islamic extremism for years.
Early in the investigation, an Australian counterterrorism source suspected that the pair had received “military-style training” while in the Philippines. The province of North Cotabato, where police said the gunmen’s mobile phone was detected, sits between Davao and regions where Islamic State-aligned militants are believed to operate.
Philippine authorities have denied that the region is still an “ISIS training ground”, but the latest revelations have raised more questions than answers. Police are still investigating why the Akrams visited the Philippines and how they spent their time there. “Our initial assessment suggests they may have been visiting on holiday or waiting to meet someone,” the police source said.
The investigation is ongoing, but one thing is clear – the Bondi Beach gunmen’s Philippines trail has led authorities down a sinister path, and the truth behind their true intentions remains shrouded in mystery.