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| Melbourne raids: 23-year-old arrested over alleged terrorism funding | Melbourne raids: 23-year-old arrested over alleged terrorism funding |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A 23-year-old Melbourne man will be charged with funding a terrorist organisation to help finance a US citizen fighting in Syria, police said on Tuesday. | |
| The arrest in Seabrook, about 19km south-west of the Melbourne central business district, came during morning raids in five suburbs – Flemington, Meadow Heights, Kealba, Broadmeadows and Seabrook. All related to the alleged financing of a proscribed terrorist organisation. | |
| Neil Gaughan, an Australian federal police (AFP) assistant commissioner, told a media conference the man provided $12,000 to support an American citizen now fighting in the war-torn country. | |
| The AFP made the arrest in conjunction with Victoria police following an operation which began earlier this year, when information was provided to the AFP by law enforcement partners from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. | |
| The man was due to appear at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with intentionally making funds available to a terrorist organisation, knowing that organisation was a terrorist organisation. | |
| Gaughan said seven search warrants were issued and more than 100 AFP and Victoria police officers were involved in Tuesday’s raids. They followed an eight-month investigation after initial information was provided by the FBI. | Gaughan said seven search warrants were issued and more than 100 AFP and Victoria police officers were involved in Tuesday’s raids. They followed an eight-month investigation after initial information was provided by the FBI. |
| “We have gone early today because we were of the view that further funds were about to be transferred,” Gaughan said. “There is no information or intelligence that this man was involved in planning an attack.” | “We have gone early today because we were of the view that further funds were about to be transferred,” Gaughan said. “There is no information or intelligence that this man was involved in planning an attack.” |
| The raids were relatively low key, he said, because there was no danger to the public. | The raids were relatively low key, he said, because there was no danger to the public. |
| Gaughan said that Tuesday’s raids and arrest showed police were investigating all aspects of terrorism. | |
| “We are acutely aware that to participate in overseas fighting, funds are required,” he said. “In this case we will allege that the man was funding someone from the US. However who is being funded makes no difference. | |
| “Providing funding is equally criminal as actually travelling to participate and we will use all our resources to cut off the supply of funds to terrorists.” | |
| Victoria police deputy commissioner Graham Ashton said he wanted to reiterate that there was no direct threat to community safety. | |
| “This is a safe state and a safe community, it is important that we have confidence and we want to make sure that everyone goes about their business as they ordinarily would,” he said. | |
| In Seabrook, a neighbour of the arrested man said he was in his mid-20s and worked in his father’s pizza shop. | In Seabrook, a neighbour of the arrested man said he was in his mid-20s and worked in his father’s pizza shop. |
| “He was very friendly. He moved in to the house in December with his wife after getting married,” said Herve Du Euisson-Berrine. | “He was very friendly. He moved in to the house in December with his wife after getting married,” said Herve Du Euisson-Berrine. |
| Ashton said the family of Abdul Numan Haider, the 18-year-old shot dead by police last week after stabbing two police officers, had received death threats over the weekend. The raids on Tuesday and last week’s incident were unrelated, he said. | |
| “We did get an example where the family, particularly the parents of the young man … received some death threats over the weekend and that was particularly disconcerting to us and very concerning to the family,” said Ashton. | “We did get an example where the family, particularly the parents of the young man … received some death threats over the weekend and that was particularly disconcerting to us and very concerning to the family,” said Ashton. |
| “This is an innocent family … they are in the process of grieving and they need to be left alone to grieve.” | “This is an innocent family … they are in the process of grieving and they need to be left alone to grieve.” |
| He also said there had been several instances of racially motivated crime and called for tolerance. | He also said there had been several instances of racially motivated crime and called for tolerance. |
| The Greens member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, has Flemington in his electorate and said terrorism was not a Muslim problem but an Australian problem. | The Greens member for Melbourne, Adam Bandt, has Flemington in his electorate and said terrorism was not a Muslim problem but an Australian problem. |
| “My office and I have very strong community relationships, including with the Muslim community, and we are currently talking to residents to reassure them, offer our support and share information,” Bandt said. | “My office and I have very strong community relationships, including with the Muslim community, and we are currently talking to residents to reassure them, offer our support and share information,” Bandt said. |
| “I hope that residents are feeling safe and I encourage them to call my office if they would like. I am organising a meeting for our community in the coming days. | “I hope that residents are feeling safe and I encourage them to call my office if they would like. I am organising a meeting for our community in the coming days. |
| “Terrorism in our community is not a Muslim problem, it is an Australian problem. The best way to fight terror, hatred and violence is together. | “Terrorism in our community is not a Muslim problem, it is an Australian problem. The best way to fight terror, hatred and violence is together. |
| “Critical to fighting radicalisation is to tackle the social dislocation and lack of opportunity that can feed it.” | |
| More than 800 officers were involved in Australia’s largest counter-terrorism operation on 18 September at homes in Sydney and Melbourne. One man, 22-year-old Omarjan Azari, was charged with preparing to commit a terror attack. |