Perth : Australian Police said on Saturday they had thwarted an imminent terror attack after discovering explosives at a Melbourne home and arresting a 17-year-old boy, in the latest example of the threat posed by radicalised teenagers in the country.
Acting on a tip-off from the national security phone line, police and security agencies began investigating the youth and later raided his home in Greenvale, 20 kilometres (12 miles) north of Melbourne, on Friday when the threat was “imminent.”
The bomb disposal squad moved three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to a nearby park where they were “rendered safe” and said there was no longer a threat to the community.
The teen, who cannot be identified due to his age, was charged with terrorism-related offences and remanded in custody to appear before the Children’s Court in a closed sitting on Monday, police said. The boy’s family was described by police as “caring” and “very, very distraught” over the arrest.