on 30-09-2014 08:27 AM
Victoria Police and AFP conduct anti-terror raids in Melbourne suburbs of Flemington, Meadow Heights and Seabrook
UPDATE: A MAN has been taken into custody as Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police officers conduct counter-terrorism raids at properties in three Melbourne suburbs.
The raids taking place at Point Cook Rd in Seabrook, Flemington and Meadow Heights are anti-terror related, the AFP confirmed.
The man was arrested by police at a property in Seabrook as about 12 AFP officers conducted the raid.
The raids are not related to last week’s stabbing of two police officers in Endeavour Hills, the AFP said.
Earlier, Victoria Police said in a statement: “The Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police can confirm that a number of search warrants are being conducted as part of a joint operation in the following suburbs — Flemington, Meadow Heights and Seabrook.
“While this activity is continuing no further comment will be made.”
on 30-09-2014 07:23 PM
@azureline** wrote:
@am*3 wrote:800 policeman in Sydney & Brisbane raid - 1 spotty youth charged
No of policemen in Melbourne raid today (?) -
1 charged - Hassan El Sabsabi, 23, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday afternoon charged with six counts of intentionally making funds available to a terrorist organisation.
2 person? What details have been published about a second person?
Not a very good success rate really.
That's a good thing, it must mean there are not many of them?
One possiblity.
The other is: the AFP don't have any info on those out there that are more dangerous to our national security.
In reply to other posts:
Sydney raid arrests:
1. Free on good behaviour bond - 24 Sept - Ahmad Azaddin Rahmany, 24, was one of two men charged after more than 800 police carried out a series of pre-dawn raids across Sydney last Thursday.
A mechanic arrested during Australia's largest counter-terrorism operation was given a two-year good behaviour bond after police found a stun gun and four rounds of ammunition at his Merrylands home.
Magistrate James Coombs gave Rahmany a good behaviour bond and a $500 fine.
2. Awkward spotty youth - The only other person charged during raids last Thursday was Guildford man Omarjan Azari.
Mr Azari, 22, remains in custody charged with conspiring to prepare for a terrorist attack on behalf of Islamic State. It is believed he planned to randomly behead someone and capture the act on video.
SMH
30-09-2014 07:24 PM - edited 30-09-2014 07:26 PM
@bushies.girl wrote:
How many would you like them to arrest?
How many could 800 policemen arrest? One 22 yo?
The second person (in Sydney) arrested but now free wasn't charged with any offences contected with terrorism activities.
on 30-09-2014 07:28 PM
LOL AM3 you tell me, you're the one whinging about it
on 30-09-2014 07:30 PM
Personally I am more than happy with the work that has been done by the government/police etc. to try to keep Australia safe!
30-09-2014 07:31 PM - edited 30-09-2014 07:34 PM
@punch*drunk wrote:El Sabsabi briefly appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, where a prosecution lawyer said police had amassed more than 25,000 social media web pages and 500 intercepted phone calls and texts.
He is charged with six counts of intentionally making funds available to a known terrorist group.
In charge sheets lodged with the court, federal police allege that in March this year El Sabsabi made funds available to ISIL.
Police also allege that between March and August, he made funds available to Jabhat al-Nusra.
The funds were allegedly provided at a number of locations in Melbourne's western and northern suburbs.
I wonder what they mean by that last sentence? Did he hand over money at some kind of meeting or gathering, doesnt sound like he just sent it by bank transfer does it?
Does making funds available mean offering money to known terrorist groups but it has not yet been transferred to any of them?
This is from The Age
At a press conference following the raids, AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan alleged the 23-year-old had acted alone in raising $12,000 to fund a United States citizen to fly to Syria and assist a proscribed terror group in fighting.
"We will allege that organisation was a proscribed terrorist organisation," he said.
We will further allege that the man provided approximately $12,000 in funds to support a US citizen who is currently fighting in Syria.
"We have gone early today as we are of the view that funds were about to be transferred to this person in Syria."
on 30-09-2014 07:32 PM
@bushies.girl wrote:Personally I am more than happy with the work that has been done by the government/police etc. to try to keep Australia safe!
I have a different view to that.
on 30-09-2014 07:35 PM
on 30-09-2014 07:41 PM
@am*3 wrote:
@punch*drunk wrote:El Sabsabi briefly appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court, where a prosecution lawyer said police had amassed more than 25,000 social media web pages and 500 intercepted phone calls and texts.
He is charged with six counts of intentionally making funds available to a known terrorist group.
In charge sheets lodged with the court, federal police allege that in March this year El Sabsabi made funds available to ISIL.
Police also allege that between March and August, he made funds available to Jabhat al-Nusra.
The funds were allegedly provided at a number of locations in Melbourne's western and northern suburbs.
I wonder what they mean by that last sentence? Did he hand over money at some kind of meeting or gathering, doesnt sound like he just sent it by bank transfer does it?Does making funds available mean offering money to known terrorist groups but it has not yet been transferred to any of them?
This is from The Age
At a press conference following the raids, AFP assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan alleged the 23-year-old had acted alone in raising $12,000 to fund a United States citizen to fly to Syria and assist a proscribed terror group in fighting.
"We will allege that organisation was a proscribed terrorist organisation," he said.
We will further allege that the man provided approximately $12,000 in funds to support a US citizen who is currently fighting in Syria.
"We have gone early today as we are of the view that funds were about to be transferred to this person in Syria."
from an earlier post:
The Assistant Commissioner said they had acted because there was concern the man was about to make another transaction to the man in Syria.
30-09-2014 07:43 PM - edited 30-09-2014 07:44 PM
LOL
The man arrested paid the money to a known terrorist organisation between March and August but all of that money was not due to be given to the US citizen in Syria till this week?
UK news
Mr El Sabsabi allegedly transferred money between March 1 and August 11 to fund a United States citizen to fly to Syria and fight there for several months.
Police said the pair met via social media and it was believed to be the first time that "someone has sponsored someone to go and fight”.
"There is no information or intelligence to indicate that this man [Mr El Sabsabi] was involved in planning an attack,” said assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan, from the Australian Federal Police.
"We have gone early today as we are of the view that funds were about to be transferred to this person in Syria.
"This is the first time in a terrorism environment that we're aware that an Australian citizen has sponsored or paid for a citizen of another country to go into Syria or Iraq to fight."
More than 60 Australians are believed to be fighting with jihadists in Iraq and Syria and a further 100 have been supporting them from home.
on 30-09-2014 07:50 PM
the man was about to make another transaction to the man in Syria.
or
Australian Federal Police.
"We have gone early today as we are of the view that funds were about to be transferred to this person in Syria.
The US citizen wouldn't get the funds until he went to Syria? But the funds had been raised and kept by the known terrorist organisation until that time (when the US citizen actually arrived in Syria?)
The funding was for several months.. did the US citizen go to Syria in March or recently?