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UPDATE: A 23-year-old Seabrook man on Tuesday appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with funding a US citizen to fight with a terrorist organisation in Syria.
Hassan El Sabsabi was arrested at his home after more than 100 Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police officers raided seven properties in five suburbs at 6.45am.
Search warrants were executed at homes in Seabrook, Broadmeadows, Flemington, Kealba and Meadow Heights as part of Operation Honensalzburg.
Police seized a large amount of electronic devices including computers and hard drives.
The raids by the joint counter-terrorism team were the culmination of an eight-month investigation involving the FBI.
Australian Federal Police assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan earlier said it was alleged El Sabsabi transferred $12,000 to an American man he knew from social media and that he intended to transfer further funds.
He said police alleged he intentionally made funds available to a terrorist organisation, knowing it was a terrorist organisation.
“We will allege the organisation was a proscribed terrorist organisation,” assistant commissioner Gaughan said.
“We further allege the man provided approximately $12,000 in funds to support a US citizen currently fighting in Syria.
“We have gone earlier today [Tuesday] as we are of the view that further funds were about to be transferred to the person in Syria.
“Today was an overt action to resolve the matter.
“This is the first time in a terrorism environment that we’re aware that an Australian citizen has sponsored or paid for a citizen of another country to go into Syria or Iraq to fight.”
He stressed there was no information or intelligence to indicate El Sabsabi was involved in planning an attack.
Assistant commissioner Gaughan said the El Sabsabi was believed to have been operating by himself. The raids were not connected to Numan Haider, 18, who was shot by police outside Endeavour Hills police station after injuring two officers with a knife.
Victoria Police deputy commissioner Graham Ashton said the raids were conducted in a “low-key manner” because there had been no threat to the community.
“This is a terrorism financing case,” he said.
“We didn’t assess there being a significant community safety risk or significant risk to our officers.”
He said no explosives, firearms or weapons were seized.
El Sabsabi made no application for bail and was remanded in custody until February 7.
