By Nick Ralston and James Robertson
Police have charged a man who was allegedly plotting to blow up two Sydney buildings, including a hospital, in an apparent act of revenge.
On April 9, police acting on a tip-off raided a two-storey home in Albion Park, 22 kilometres south of Wollongong, where they found a homemade bomb.
Police described it as a sophisticated gadget, composed of PVC tubing filled with shrapnel and attached to a timing device.
Officers reportedly found evidence suggesting the bomb had been manufactured as part of a plot to blow up two buildings. The buildings cannot be identified for legal reasons.
A police source said evidence suggested the bomb attack had been planned for the day after that raid was conducted: April 10.
Much of the street was cordoned off and a number of homes were evacuated as the bomb disposal squad worked to defuse the device over the course of several hours.
Police also found other chemicals used in the manufacture of explosives at the home.
But the man who lived at the house had already fled overseas.
On Thursday, he was arrested.
The 42-year-old man cannot be named for legal reasons but police arrested him after he arrived at Sydney Airport on a flight from Malta. The arresting officers included detectives from Strike Force Crichton, which had been convened to investigate the case.
On Friday night, police were refusing to confirm reports that the man had previously made threats against a Sydney doctor.
He was charged with making explosives with intent to injure.
The man was refused bail and appeared in Central Local Court on Friday and his mental health is being assessed by court-appointed psychiatrists.