Police will allege the 19-year-old attempted to engage in a terrorist act.
Police say they suspect two incidents that occurred earlier in the year â a fire lit on February 18 in bushland outside of Melbourne and a public assault on a person in metropolitan Melbourne on March 10 â could have been motivated by religious extremism.
Victoria Police Counter Terrorism Command Assistant Commissioner Michael Hermans said investigators believed the risk posed by the three individuals had been increasing, prompting police to carry out the raids under Operation Loon Beek.
âWe saw a risk profile that was increasing, and we took action,â Mr Hermans said.
Three arrested in Melbourne counter-terrorism raids as police warn of youth radicalisation online
Posted 4
updated 4
MarMarch 2021 at 2:14pm
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Police say they are alarmed by a growing phenomenon of young people getting radicalised online, after arresting two men and a 16-year-old boy in a counter-terrorism investigation in Melbourne s north.
Key points:
Two men aged 19 and 20 are in custody and could face terrorism charges
The AFP says the coronavirus pandemic has worsened online radicalisation of young people
Acting Premier James Merlino condemned the actions and said Victorians needed to remain vigilant about terrorism. We cannot ever relax . this is something that we need to keep on top of.
Professor of Global Islamic Politics at Deakin University Greg Barton said ISIS was still a global threat. This group Islamic State is still very active. There s no more caliphate but they haven t gone away. We d like to think they have but this is a reminder this threat is a persistent and a resilient one, Mr Barton said.
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Police said the arrests were linked to a fire and an assault.(Nine)
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A Melbourne man has been accused of trying to carry out a religiously motivated act of terror, with police warning the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated online youth radicalisation.
The 19-year-old Epping man was among three people arrested as part of a joint counter-terrorism operation in Melbourne s north on Wednesday morning.
A 20-year-old man from Epping and 16-year-old Glenroy boy were also arrested in the separate raids after investigators became concerned about a fire and an assault.
Police say they suspect the incidents - involving a fire in bushland about 30 minutes from Epping on 18 February and assault in a public place in metropolitan Melbourne on 10 March - may have been motivated by religious extremism .