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Plane plot arrest man denies weapons case

A Sydney man arrested following an alleged aborted plot to bring down a plane will plead not guilty to a separate weapons charge.

Merhi
Khaled Merhi, who was released over a terror plot, has now denied a weapons charge. (AAP)

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Source: AAP


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A Sydney man arrested in connection with an alleged terror plot to bring down a plane has denied possessing a prohibited weapon.

Khaled Merhi, 39, on Thursday appeared briefly in the Downing Centre Local Court on the weapons charge. He is not charged with any terrorism-related offence.

Lawyer Moustafa Kheir told the court Merhi would plead not guilty to the charge, and the matter was adjourned until October.

The court was told a brief of evidence detailing the police case against Merhi would be handed to the defence by September 21.

Merhi's bail was varied so he only has to report to Surry Hills police station every Monday. He also has to abide by a daily curfew from 10pm to 6am.

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Merhi was arrested on July 29 with three other men in raids across Sydney.

Two of those were Khaled Khayat, 49, of Lakemba and Mahmoud Khayat, 32, of Punchbowl who've each been charged with two counts of planning or preparing a terrorist act.

Another Sydney-based brother, Amer Khayat, was to have knowingly carried a bomb onto an Etihad flight bound for Abu Dhabi on July 15, the Lebanese interior minister said this week.

The AFP, however, alleges he had "no idea" there was a bomb in his baggage which in the end wasn't checked in at Sydney Airport because it was too heavy.

A fourth brother, Tareq Khayat, moved to the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria and become a commander in the jihadist group more than a year ago, Lebanon says.

Australian police allege the two arrested brothers were behind the aborted attempt to place the improvised explosive device - hidden inside a meat grinder - on the Etihad flight.


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