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Man charged with terror funding

A 23-year-old man has been charged with intentionally providing funds to an overseas terrorist organisation, following police raids on homes in five Melbourne suburbs early today.

“A joint Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police operation has resulted in one man being charged with terrorism financing offences today,” an AFP statement said.

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The man will appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon.

The raids, which involved more than 100 police officers executing seven search warrants, were a culmination of eight months of investigations following information provided by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Known by police as Operation Hohensalzburg, the search took place in the Melbourne suburbs of Seabrook, Kealba, Meadow Heights, Broadmeadows and Flemington from 6.45am on Tuesday.

“We will allege that the man provided approximately $12,000 funds to a US citizen currently fighting in Syria. Further funds were about to be transferred to this man in Syria,” Mr Gaughan said, adding that a “significant amount” of electronic material had been seized during the raids.

Police said that they had no information or intelligence to indicate that the man arrested had been involved in the planning of an attack.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton said police will allege the man in question had been “orchestrating a process to provide funds” to terrorist-linked individuals overseas.

Mr Ashton described the raids as “low-key” and pertaining to “terrorism financing”.

“We didn’t assess there being a significant community safety risk,” Mr Ashton said.

“This is a safe state and a safe community, it is important that we have confidence and we want to make sure that everyone goes about their business as they ordinarily would.”

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