Security contractor with education department links among neo-Nazis at Sydney rally

A member of the neo-Nazi group which held an anti-Jewish protest outside parliament has a police-issued licence allowing him to install and maintain security devices, and listed the NSW Education Department as a client.

Russian-educated Alex Volvach was among the 60-odd black-clad members of the neo-Nazi National Socialist Network, whose made-for-social-media rally last weekend has sparked widespread criticism and raised questions about why NSW Police did not attempt to block it.

The Herald on Thursday revealed one senior member of the NSN is South African national Matthew Gruter, a civil engineer for Aurecon. The company, which has held contracts with the Department of Defence, did not answer questions about Gruter’s role at the firm.

Other members include a personal trainer, an Australia Post employee, and Sydney Trains employee Cooper Stephens, who on Thursday was stood down while the agency investigates his involvement in the rally.

Gruter’s involvement has come under particular scrutiny because he is a foreign national.

Asked about Gruter on Thursday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to comment on his case but noted: “People who come to Australia and then say that they are anti- migrants coming to Australia, I think that speaks for itself.”

The Herald can also reveal another member of the group also appears to have foreign links.

According to an online profile, Volvach attended university in St Petersburg and worked in software development for a Russian government agency between 2004 and 2014.

His Australian company, IronLogic, was originally founded in Russia.

Volvach did not deny attending the rally when contacted by the Herald on Thursday. When asked, he hung up and did not respond to follow-up questions sent by text message.

Public records show IronLogic is a NSW government supplier and that Volvach holds a police-issued security licence which allows him to sell security equipment and install, repair and maintain devices such as CCTV cameras.

In a statement, NSW Police said it did not comment on individuals, but a spokeswoman said “all security licensees are subject to ongoing monitoring by the Security Licensing and Enforcement Directorate”.

“Any new and relevant information may trigger a review of their suitability to hold a licence,” the spokeswoman said.

IronLogic’s website earlier this year listed the NSW Education Department as a client.

The NSW Education Department said it had not engaged IronLogic directly, but the department understood the company provided an online tracking platform used by a security company contracted to collect and deposit cash from schools in NSW and interstate.

“IronLogic Australia has never been engaged by the Department of Education, nor has it paid any money to this company,” a department spokesperson said.

“They are not authorised to be on any school site and are not a Department of Education approved contactor.”

But videos linked to the company seen by the Herald describe it as supplying subcontractor services to a separate firm responsible for transporting money from schools.

His client list, which also included co-working office space provider Wotso and freight company JJ Lawson, has since disappeared from the site.

The government’s supplier hub lists IronLogic as providing software support and cloud hosting products.

In 2018 Volvach received a grant from the state government worth up to $25,000 to support early-stage start-ups. His company was founded in 2015, according to LinkedIn.

It comes after a Sydney Trains employee has been stood down while the agency investigates his involvement in an anti-Jewish protest outside NSW Parliament organised by a group of neo-Nazis.

The Herald understands Stephens, based in south-west Sydney, works as a train guard for the state government agency. In a statement, a spokesman for Sydney Trains said it was “very concerned with the matter”.

“In the interim, Sydney Trains has directed the employee not to attend work while the matter is examined,” the spokesman said.

“The employee’s role is frontline and his actions are not supported by Sydney Trains or Transport for NSW and are not in line with public sector values.”

Stephens could not be reached for comment.

Social media accounts linked to Stephens show him as a member of a Sydney Trains group.

He also joined a Jewish community group on social media about six months ago.

The NSW branch of the National Socialist Network has been attempting to ramp up recruitment in a bid to form a political party under the banner White Australia. It has been flooding social media with propaganda videos, including footage from the rally, which lasted for about 10 minutes and appeared to be designed for social media.

The group’s leader, Thomas Sewell, was awarded bail on Thursday morning in Melbourne, after being held in remand for his alleged role in the storming of an Indigenous camp after the March for Australia rallies in August which the NSN organised.

Albanese said he was concerned about the rally, and the group’s attempt to form a political wing.

“There’s no place in Australia for the antisemitic display that we saw outside NSW Parliament House,” he said.

The rally on Saturday was notable because members appeared unmasked, demonstrating a growing boldness by parts of organisation.

However, most wore dark sunglasses and hats, indicating they hoped not to be identified.

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