Melbourne teen arrested with Islamic State flag and terrorist manuals

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with collecting terrorist manuals, guides and ISIS propaganda in Melbourne.

A joint taskforce of police and intelligence officers began investigating the boy after they detected an Islamic State flag was allegedly ordered to his property in the inner-city, with Victoria Police executing a search warrant at the address on Tuesday, seizing a mobile phone and laptop.

The boy was charged with one count of collecting or making documents that facilitate a terrorist act and one count of importing a prohibited object – an Islamic State flag.

The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before a children’s court and was remanded to appear again at a later date. The charge for collecting or making such documents carries a maximum penalty of 15 years imprisonment.

“There is no currently identified threat to community safety,” a Victoria Police spokesperson said.

On Wednesday, a 16-year-old Sydney boy faced court in NSW for allegedly downloading extremist manuals and plotting a terror attack.

The court heard he downloaded a terror guide and a kill guide from an extremist group known to radicalise young people and began planning a violent attack.

The Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation’s current terrorism threat level is probable, meaning it believes there is a greater than 50 per cent chance on an onshore attack or attack planning in the next 12 months.

National Security Hotline (1800 123 400)

Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.