A member of far-right group United Patriots Front has been charged with illegally possessing weapons and a bomb-making manual days before an anti-mosque rally in Melbourne.
Braybook man Phillip Galea, 31, was refused bail in an out-of-sessions hearing on Thursday over one charge of possessing a prohibited weapon and one count of possessing a prescribed chemical.
He was arrested after police received information that some people were intending to take weapons for "self-defence" to the Reclaim Australia rally in Melton on Sunday.
The anti-Islam group are protesting plans to build a mosque on Melbourne's outskirts.
During a search of Galea's home, the arson and explosives squad found five Tasers and a jar containing a small amount of mercury, as well as an electronic copy of a bomb-making manual, police say.
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A barefoot Galea admitted possessing a copy of The Anarchist Cookbook.
"Pretty much most people my age would have a copy of the Anarchist Handbook (sic), it's well circulated," he told the bail justice.
"I have no intention of harming anyone."
The search at Galea's home also turned up a large amount of "extreme political material related to the United Patriots Front" and information about how to manufacture explosives, police say.
"We found an extensive array ... of information that had been downloaded and stored," said Detective Leading Senior Constable Brett Parker.
Galea, who works as a labourer, said he was politically active.
"At the moment I am actively involved in the patriot movement, which is why they (police) would have a lot of stuff there," he said.
Police say Galea could face a further charge of refusing to give police access to material after they found a hard drive with encrypted files.
Det Sen Const Parker opposed granting Galea bail on the basis he is an unacceptable risk to public safety.
Galea said he had no intentions of making a bomb.
"I have not actually had an intention to create an explosive device or utilise any such piece of equipment," he said.
Galea has been remanded into custody to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.
