Alleged neo-Nazi facing terror charges

The 18-year-old was arrested at a home in Albury on Wednesday and is expected to be charged with advocating terrorism and urging violence against members or groups.

“The male who we’ve arrested has an extremist right-wing ideology and is focused on neo-Nazi, white supremacist and anti-Semitic material,” AFP Assistant Commissioner Scott Lee told reporters on Wednesday.

The man had been closely monitored by federal and NSW police since August but a recent escalation in his tone caused investigators to intervene, Mr Lee said.

His communications on various social media platforms, most of which were mainstream, turned to support of a mass casualty event, including his potential involvement in it.

The man had also sought to provide others with bomb-making material in his pursuit to encourage others to commit terrorist acts and violence against community members, Mr Lee said.

Hours before his arrest, the man again posted support for a previous mass shooting overseas.

Mr Lee said the mass shooting wasn’t the Christchurch massacre, however the arrested man had expressed support for the ideology of the Australian-born terrorist behind the March 2019 attack.

Police declined to identify the social media platforms involved.

Read the article by Luke Costin in The Canberra Times.