Terror raids: Meadow Heights, Broadmeadows houses targeted

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UPDATE: Broadmeadows and Meadow Heights houses were among seven residences raided on Tuesday morning by a Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police counter-terrorism team.

Search warrants were also conducted on houses in Kealba, Flemington and Seabrook. 

A Seabrook man is expected to be charged  with funding a terrorist operation in Syria.

More than 100 Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police joint counter-terrorism team officers conducted the operation simultaneously at 6.45am.

Deputy Commissioner Graham Ashton and AFP Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan held a press conference at midday.

Deputy Commissioner Ashton thanked the FBI for identifying the Seabrook man.

Police allege the 23-year-old man had provided $12,000 to a US citizen fighting in Syria.

“He’s currently there fighting and has been there for a number of months,”  Mr Ashton said.

He said further funds were about to be transferred on Tuesday.

The raids were the culmination of an eight-month investigation based on information provided by the FBI. 

Electronic material including computers and hard drives were seized and will be forensically examined in coming weeks. 

Mr Ashton said there was no evidence to suggest any explosives or firearms were found. 

He said the Seabrook man was acting alone and knew the occupants of the other residences only through social media.

A Victoria Police statement said the operation activity was not in response to a threat to public safety nor it was related to the stabbing of two police officers in Endeavour Hills last week.

“This operational activity is not in response to a threat to public safety,” the statement said.

On Tuesday last week, an 18-year-old terror suspect was shot by police after the stabbing of two officers outside the Endeavour Hills police station.

Police have also confirmed the raids are not related to earlier anti-terror raids in Brisbane and Sydney.

Premier Denis Napthine said Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Ken Lay had briefed him on the anti-terror raids on Tuesday morning.

 “I am advised they are part of a long-running ongoing operation,” Dr Napthine told 3AW. 

“They’re not about a specific threat or there is certainly no immediate concern for public safety.”

More to come