MELBOURNE: Carlton link to ISIS propaganda
A Carlton man has been charged by the Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team with being a member of a terrorist organisation and accused of sharing thousands of extremist media files and ISIS propaganda.
The Victoria JCTT, comprising of the AFP, Victoria Police and ASIO, arrested the man, 65, and executed a search warrant at a Carlton home on Wednesday (Sep. 23) where a mobile phone was seized.
The man was expected to face Melbourne Magistrates’ Court (pictured).
The investigation commenced following a referral from Australian Border Force, who intercepted the man at Melbourne International Airport on November 21, 2020, and conducted an examination of his luggage ahead of his During an examination of the man’s mobile phone, ABF officers located suspicious content. The phone was subsequently seized by the AFP for further examination.
A subsequent forensic review of the devices revealed the man had allegedly viewed and shared ISIS extremist material on an encrypted messaging platform.
As part of the ongoing investigation, a further search warrant was executed in 2024, where additional electronic devices were seized for forensic examination.
Further analysis of the devices revealed the man allegedly pledged his allegiance to ISIS and performed the role of an online propagandist from Australia, sending about 10,000 files containing extremist content between November 2015 and July 2020.
The JCTT alleges the violent and extremist content shared on the platform included videos, images, audio files, documents and messages relating to executions, torture, and ISIS-propaganda purporting to be from battlefields.
It will be alleged in court that the man shared information about avoiding detection from law enforcement, along with instructional guides on planning and conducting mass casualty attacks.
Investigators allege the man’s role was significant, with the scale of the dissemination of extremist material placing him as one of the principal distributors of ISIS propaganda within the groups on the messaging platform.
The man was charged with:
• One count of membership of a terrorist organisation, namely ISIS;
• Three counts of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, namely by transmitting violent extremist material; and
• One count of possessing or controlling violent extremist material obtained using a carriage service.
Maximum penalties for these offences include 10 years’ imprisonment.
AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Counter Terrorism Paula Hudson said the investigation demonstrated the unwavering commitment of JCTTs to disrupting individuals who allegedly support terrorism and extremist ideologies.
“The material allegedly shared by this man glorified acts of extreme violence and promoted a terrorist organisation, spreading a hateful ideology that’s designed to radicalise others,” acting Assistant Commissioner Hudson said.
“Terrorist organisations like ISIS rely on online platforms to distribute propaganda and recruit supporters. Their content is specifically designed to radicalise individuals, encouraging them to adopt extremist beliefs and commit acts of violence.”