Melbourne Airport Arrest: Man Charged with Possessing Violent Extremist Material

A 30-year-old man from Melbourne's outer north has been charged with possessing violent extremist material after being arrested at Melbourne Airport overnight.

Police allege the man, from Roxburgh Park, had been part of a group chat sharing violent material, including ISIS propaganda, ahead of a scheduled flight to the Middle East.

Arrest and Charges

The man was arrested at Melbourne's international airport after police received information about his online activities. "We allege this individual was part of a dedicated online network operating within Australia, motivated by sharing and distributing violent extremist material, including ISIS propaganda," said AFP Commander Paula Hudson.

Police also allege that after his arrest, the man refused to let authorities access his electronic devices when presented with a court order. He has been charged with possessing violent extremist material, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and for refusing access to devices.

Commitment to Disrupting Online Extremism

Commander Hudson emphasized that Australian authorities are committed to disrupting online extremism. "Let me be extremely clear — this harmful content holds no place in our society," she said.

"The sharing and distribution of extremist material, including images and videos of graphic acts of violence such as beheadings, shootings, bombings, rape and violent assaults is unacceptable in our community."

"This disruption should serve as another, serious warning to those fuelling dangerous, violent extremist content online."

The 30-year-old man is the sixth Victorian to be charged by the AFP's National Security Investigations team in recent months. He is expected to face court later today.