Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been evacuated from his residence in the capital city after he was implicated in an ongoing Beijing-backed transnational repression campaign targeting the spiritual practice Falun Gong.
It is understood the prime minister was taken to another location for several hours while law enforcement conducted a search at The Lodge in Canberra.
According to Australian Federal Police (AFP), the agency responded to the “alleged security incident” at around 6 p.m. on Feb. 24.
“A thorough search of a protection establishment was undertaken and nothing suspicious was located. There is no current threat to the community or public safety,” an AFP spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
The agency also said more information would be released at an appropriate time.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the prime minister said his office had full confidence in the work of the AFP.
“We trust the AFP to do their jobs and thank them for their work,” spokesperson said, as reported by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Albanese Implicated Amid Ongoing Threats Targeting New York Dance Group
The AFP’s response came after local organisers of the world-class dance performance Shen Yun received email threats targeting Albanese ahead of its Australian tour, due to start on Feb. 25.
The New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts, which seeks to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation, was founded by artists fleeing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s persecution of spiritual practice Falun Gong.
Over the past two years, the group has been subject to an ongoing CCP-backed transnational campaign involving bomb threats, email threats, and media campaigns.
Week earlier, similarly worded threats to Albanese were issued against the UK, Korean, and Danish leaders—designed to scare audiences and venue managers, with no actual incidents recorded.
