Breaking: Alleged ISIS member arrested in Melbourne - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson addressed media after the raid on Wednesday.

Police have arrested a Melbourne man who allegedly played a significant role spreading online propaganda for the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The 65-year-old man was arrested during a raid in Carlton this morning after authorities covertly monitored his activities for years.

The man is expected to face court later today.

Counter-terrorism police have arrested a Melbourne man who they allege spread violent material as an online propagandist for the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The 65-year-old was arrested during a raid of a home in Carlton this morning after authorities covertly monitored his activities for a period of several years.

Addressing media on Wednesday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said an investigation was launched after Australian Border Force officers found suspicious material on electronic devices they seized as the man flew to Egypt for six months in November 2020.

A further search warrant was executed in 2024.

Police allege a forensic device analysis revealed he pledged allegiance to the terrorist group and acted as an online propagandist, sending about 10,000 files of violent extremist material and IS propaganda between November 2015 and July 2020.

Among the material was "abhorrent" depictions of executions and torture, material intended to radicalise and information about carrying out mass casualty attacks, AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson said.

The assistant commissioner said the scale of the material placed the man as a "principal distributor of ISIS propaganda within the group".

"Terrorist propaganda is not harmless online content," she said.

"Terrorist organisations like ISIS rely on online platforms to distribute propaganda and recruit supporters".

The man, an Australian citizen who lived with his wife, is expected to be charged with membership of a terrorist organisation, possessing and controlling violent extremist material and using a carriage service to cause offence.

However, the AFP said the man was not linked to any particular attacks and there was no threat to the community.

He is expected to face court later today.

Further devices were seized during the Joint Counter Terrorism Team raid of the Carlton home this morning.

Assistant Commissioner Hudson did not rule out further arrests as police worked with international partners to disrupt the man's associates.

"We certainly won't be ruling out further arrests in relation to that," she said.