MELBOURNE — A 30-year-old Roxburgh Park man has been intercepted at Melbourne International Airport and charged as part of an expanding Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigation into an online ISIS propaganda network.
The suspect was arrested overnight while attempting to board a flight bound for the Middle East. He is scheduled to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today, facing charges related to violent extremist material (VEM) and non-compliance with law enforcement orders.
The arrest follows a May 2026 search warrant executed at the man’s home by the AFP and Victoria Police. Officers seized multiple electronic devices during the raid, which specialist forensic teams later determined contained alleged ISIS-inspired extremist media.
Upon his arrest at the airport, authorities allege the man refused to comply with a court order issued under section 3LA of the Crimes Act 1914 (Cth), which required him to grant officers access to his encrypted devices.
He has been formally charged with:
- Possessing violent extremist material (s474.45C, Criminal Code Cth) — maximum penalty of 5 years’ imprisonment.
- Contravening a section 3LA order (s3LA(6), Crimes Act 1914 Cth) — maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
Police allege the suspect was an active participant in an encrypted group chat used to send, receive, and share graphic extremist content, including footage of executions, bombings, and violent assaults. He is the sixth individual linked to the circle to face court; four were charged during coordinated raids in May, and another was apprehended upon returning from Malaysia.
AFP Commander Counter Terrorism South Paula Hudson emphasised that early disruption remains the primary tool in preventing online extremism from spilling into physical acts of violence.
“Creating and sharing violent extremist material can be the gateway to terrorism. It desensitises individuals, including youth, to violence and creates a permissive environment to normalise hate,” Commander Hudson said. “We know that intervening early helps to ensure individuals are disrupted before they reach the most serious levels of offending.”
The investigation was spearheaded by the AFP’s National Security Investigations (NSI) teams, established by Commissioner Krissy Barrett in October 2025 to dismantle groups causing severe harm to social cohesion.
Authorities urge the public to report suspicious online radicalisation to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400, or Triple Zero (000) for immediate threats.