After a 16-year-old extremist attempted to stab a Bishop at a church in Western Sydney, ABC investigative journalist Sean Rubinsztein‑Dunlop was approached by a man with an extraordinary claim: he was a former undercover ASIO spy who had infiltrated extremist networks in Sydney linked to Islamic State.

In this episode of Uncovered, Sean tells the story of ‘Marcus’, the ex-spy who, while undercover, met Naveed Akram and his father, the men allegedly later responsible for the Bondi Beach terror attack. Marcus gathered intelligence, faced life-threatening risks, and witnessed individuals on a path to violence. He says he warned ASIO of Naveed being a potential threat, but authorities disagreed with his assessment.

Through Sean’s reporting, we go inside Australia’s hidden world of counterterrorism and see how Marcus’s actions intersected with one of Sydney’s most serious domestic terror plots, offering a rare insight into national security, radicalisation, and the human cost of undercover work.

Got any tips? Email us at secretswekeep@sca.com.au.

Four Corners episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHnaHHC8Q9c

ASIO's statement in response to the ABC's Four Corners: https://www.asio.gov.au/asio-statement-four-corners

Credits:

Reporter/Host: Joey Watson
Supervising Producer: Claudianna Blanco
Fact Check: Holly Mitchell
Sound Design: Matt Nikolic
Head of Factual: Clair Weaver

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Uncovered | Exposing the Bondi gunmen's ISIS links