NSW: Bomb scare forces evacuation at minister s speech

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2000
NSW: Bomb scare forces evacuation at minister s speech

SYDNEY, Feb 1 AAP - A bomb hoax today forced the evacuation of 1,000 international
delegates from a key Sydney Olympics venue where Defence Minister John Moore was about
to deliver a speech.

After receiving an anonymous call, event organisers at the Pacific 2000 naval and maritime
exhibition cleared the Darling Harbour auditorium before security staff searched the premises.

Police were called to the venue at about 9am (AEDT).

A precautionary check revealed the incident to be a hoax, a police spokesman said.

The audience was moved to another room at the complex where Mr Moore opened the conference
without further incident.

Delegates returned to the harbourside auditorium at 10.15am.

The scare follows the chance discovery of a home-made pipe bomb in the backpack of
a man arrested near a monorail line leading to Darling Harbour during the city's packed
New Year's Eve celebrations last month.

That incident forced the partial evacuation of the Sydney Police Centre, designated
as a critical security site during the Olympics, as bomb squad officers defused the device.

It is understood police are also investigating more than a dozen alleged threats to
Games-related venues which have come to light since December.

AAP jk/tsm/lw/bar/de

KEYWORD: MOORE LEAD

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