Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been evacuated from his official residence due to a “safety threat”.

 

He has been moved to a secure location following a threat at The Lodge in Canberra.

 

Emergency vehicles were seen at the prime minister’s house after the incident unfolded on Tuesday evening, Feb. 24.

 

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed that at 6pm AEDT (7am GMT) it responded to an “alleged security incident” within the Australian Capital Territory.

 

“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. Further information will be provided at an appropriate time,” the AFP said.

 

Former AFP Detective Superintendent David Craig, who was also a former prime ministerial body guard, told Sky News Australia that evacuating the prime minister was a “significant move” by authorities.

 

“This isn’t some online threat… There must be some corroboration to it for (police) to act this way,” he said.

 

“They will have a number of plans, and depending on the the objective or the vector of the threat, those plans will be enacted and the response will be appropriate.”

 

It comes after AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett warned that politicians were being increasingly targeted.

 

“We are witnessing the continued rise of individual grievance, including those who are willing to make threats in the online world and then carry them out,” Ms Barrett told Senate Estimates.

 

The AFP says it receives hundreds of threats to MPs at all levels of government every year.