Australian man arrested in counter-terrorism raids

Melbourne, May 27 (IANS) Australian police on Friday arrested a 25-year-old man during counter-terrorism raids in Melbourne.

The man has been charged on suspicion of terrorism, namely that he was at risk of leaving Australia to fight with the Islamic State (IS) in the Middle East, Xinhua news agency reported.

The man has been taken into custody and is scheduled to appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court later on Friday.

A spokesman for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the raids were not planned due to an immediate threat to Australia, but instead they were linked to the arrest of five men attempting to leave Australia for Syria earlier this month.

"This activity is not related to a current or impending threat to the community," the spokesman said.

Earlier in May, the five men -- preacher Musa Cerantonio, as well as Shayden Thorne, Paul Dacre, Antonio Granata and Kadir Kaya -- dubbed the "tinnie terrorists" were intercepted on Australia's north coast, after a plot to sail to Indonesia before flying to Syria was uncovered and stopped by police.

The men are due to face court in September.

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