Teenage girl in Australian bomb hostage stand-off

An 18-year-old girl called police at 2.40pm to report the discovery of a “suspicious device” at a mansion in the prosperous Sydney suburb.

A statement on the New South Wales Police Force Facebook page says –

“Officers from the Bomb Disposal and Rescue Unit continue to examine the device, which was found inside a home on Burrawong Avenue at Mosman.

“‘While the very delicate operation continues at the house with the bomb squad officers, highly skilled investigators have been working behind the scenes since the incident was first reported,’ Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said.

“‘Given the nature of the incident, I am sure you can all appreciate we need to keep the cards very close to our chest.

“‘The 18-year-old woman is being supported by specialist police inside the home and her parents are being kept fully up-to-date.’

It was not clear how the device came to be strapped to the girl, but it is understood a ransom demand has been submitted to her wealthy parents, who are said to be watching from the street with officers.

Police believe this could be an attempt to extort money from a family based in one of Australia’s richest streets, home to some of the wealthiest people in Sydney.