Court told AFP was potential terror target

The Australian Federal Police headquarters was a potential target for a Melbourne teenager accused of conspiring to commit a terrorist act.

The first instinct of a Melbourne youth accused of conspiring to commit a terrorist act was to storm the Australian Federal Police headquarters, court documents released by the Supreme Court show.

Sevdet Besim, 18, revealed in messages sent to a 14-year-old British boy in March that he could not travel because his passport was under investigation, but wanted to "take out some cops".

The conversation was revealed in an application for a preventative detention order used to detain his co-accused Harun Causevic, 18, after his arrest in dawn raids on April 18.

Some detail in the order relating to Causevic and a terrorist attack believed to have been planned for Anzac Day was withheld by Justice Peter Riordan on Wednesday on the basis that it could affect police surveillance methods, or prejudice ongoing investigations.

The application notes Causevic is close friends with Besim, who had strong links with the now closed Al-Furqan Islamic Centre in Melbourne and a teenager in the UK.

The British boy has also been charged with terrorism offences.

In a conversation between Besim and the UK boy, who cannot be named, the boy appears to be recruiting Besim, giving him options for types of attacks to be carried out and asking for photos.

"One reason I say your operations must be early is because Australian intelligence is crazy. You gotta strike sooner," the boy says.

Besim tells the boy about Numan Haider, the Melbourne teen who was killed during an alleged knife attack on police last year.

"This brother was very close to me, I was with him all the day of his op, this is why intelligence investigate my passport," Besim wrote.

The application also revealed Besim had been spending "considerable" time at Haider's gravesite and while that was common in Western culture it was not generally accepted in the Islamic community.

While Besim was charged with terrorism offences within hours of his arrest, police sought to hold Causevic on a preventative detention order for up to nine days, partly on the basis of the pair's close friendship.

While under surveillance Causevic was seen showing a black Shahada flag, often used by Islamic State militants, to a police officer and members of the public.

He was also seen driving around Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance on March 15 where he was suspected of "conducting reconnaissance" for a planned Anzac Day attack.

The application also reveals police concerns about the Al-Furqan Islamic Centre.

"A number of Victorian residents suspected by the Joint Counter Terrorism Teams to have travelled to the Middle East and engaged in the current conflict as foreign fighters are Al-Furqan attendees," the application says.


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Source: AAP


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