Australian who planned terrorist attack arrested and brought before court

An Australian (31), arrested in a counter-terrorism police operation, was brought before court on Sunday on charges of planning a terrorist attack, reports the Patria news agency.

Phillip Galea is accused of collecting documentation as part of preparations for the attack, which was intended to assist in carrying out such an attack. He was arrested on Saturday in Melbourne.

The police did not release other details about the target of the attack but stated it was in the state of Victoria. Galea told the court that the charges were "part of a conspiracy against the patriotic movement".

According to Australian media, Galea has ties to the far-right organisations "Reclaim Australia" and "True Blue Crew". Far-right groups opposed to Islam and immigrants from Asia are on the rise in Australia, writes Index.