Violent extremist videos found on Melbourne man's phone, court hears - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

AFP allege the man failed to provide access to his devices after his arrest at Melbourne's international airport.  (Supplied: Australian Federal Police)

A Victorian man facing charges of possessing violent extremist material has appeared in court after being arrested by federal police at Melbourne Airport on Saturday.

The court heard a phone belonging to 30-year-old Mohammad Ahmadzai was alleged to contain extreme content including violent videos.

Mr Ahmadzai was remanded in custody but will return to court for a bail application later this week. 

A seized phone belonging to a man arrested at Melbourne airport allegedly contained violent extremist material including videos showing beheadings, a Melbourne court has heard.

Australian Federal Police today charged 30-year-old Mohammad Ahmadzai, from Roxburgh Park in Melbourne's outer-north, with possessing violent extremist material, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. 

He was also charged with an offence related to refusing to provide police access to an electronic device. 

Police allege the 30-year-old had been part of a chat group with other men who police allege have been sharing violent extremist material. 

Mr Ahmadzai appeared via videolink at the Melbourne Magistrate's court on Sunday afternoon.  

The court heard he was intending to travel to Afghanistan, via Abu Dhabi, to visit his unwell father when he was interviewed by border force officials and then arrested at the airport on Saturday.

The court heard Mr Ahmadzai's charges were linked to a federal police raid at a Melbourne property in May, when investigators seized multiple devices including a phone and a tablet allegedly belonging to the accused. 

A representative from the AFP's National Security Investigations office told the court that while Mr Ahmadzai was not the original subject of the raid, forensic investigators had since uncovered material on his seized phone which they believed "met the threshold" of violent extremist material. 

The AFP officer told the court that material included videos depicting shootings, mass casualties and other extremist content. 

It included "video depicting the beheadings and throat cuttings of hostages," the court heard. 

The court heard Mr Ahmadzai intended to apply for bail, while the AFP officer raised concerns in court that if bailed Mr Ahmadzai may travel overseas and not return to Australia to face charges.  

Magistrate Samantha Seoud said she needed more details from the lead investigator on the case, who was not available on the weekend, before she could make any decision on bail.

The case will return to court on Tuesday.