More charges laid against NZ man arrested at Australian border with violent extremist material
Australian authorities have filed a raft of additional charges against a New Zealander arrested at the border for allegedly possessing and sharing violent extremist and objectionable material online.
The man, 24, was first charged by Australian Federal Police (AFP) in February after he was stopped on his return from overseas by border agents and underwent a baggage and device search.
AFP said agents searched his mobile phone, where they found footage of multiple overseas terrorist acts and instructions on how to make home-made bombs, before notifying police at the airport.
The Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team (WA JCTT) then obtained a search warrant for his home in Perth’s CBD, where a raid was conducted and a computer seized.
The man was charged with one count of possessing violent extremist material, with a further charge of distributing said material laid in March amid ongoing investigations.
Months on from his arrest, the 24-year-old appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Saturday to face four new charges stemming from the WA counter terrorism team’s investigations.
The additional charges include two counts of transmitting violent extremist material, one count of obtaining possession of objectionable material, and one count of transmitting objectionable material.
The WA JCTT, which includes members from AFP, Western Australian Police Force (WAPF) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), allege the man obtained the violent extremist and objectionable material before sharing it with another person via the internet.
Following the man’s arrest in February, AFP Commander Nick Read described the spread of violent extremist material as a threat to Australia’s social fabric.
“There is no place in Australian society for violent or extremist content, which terrorist organisations use as a tool to radicalise members of the community, particularly young or vulnerable people,” he said.
“Our top priority is to keep Australians safe from anyone who seeks to do them harm.”
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