MELBOURNE, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Australian counter-terrorism police on Wednesday arrested a Melbourne man who allegedly pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS) and spread extremist propaganda for the group.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said that the 65-year-old man was arrested by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team at a home in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Carlton on Wednesday after authorities monitored his activities for several years.
AFP Acting Assistant Commissioner Paula Hudson told reporters he will be charged with membership of a terrorist organization, possessing and controlling violent extremist material and using a carriage service to cause offense.
It will be alleged that the man pledged allegiance to IS and spread about 10,000 files of extremist material and propaganda between November 2015 and July 2020.
Hudson said the material included depictions of executions and torture and information about carrying out mass casualty attacks, describing him as one of the principal distributors of IS propaganda.
She said that police are working with international partners to disrupt the man's associates. ■