MELBOURNE, Nov. 9 (UPI) -- The 17 men accused of planning suicide attacks in Australia seemed to be ordinary citizens, The Sydney Daily Telegraph reports.
The suspects were arrested in an early morning raid Tuesday, during which police say they found explosives materials and maps of prospective targets.
The group is allegedly led by Abdul Benbrika, also known as Abu Bakr. He and his family live off his wife's welfare checks.
One of his followers was Shane Kent, a former rock musician turned devout Muslim. There is an actor, a butcher and an enterprising businessman in the group as well. One of the group, an electrician, is about to become a father for the first time.
The group has been remanded to maximum-security prisons without bail until their January court date.
