Three ‘plotting Melbourne mass shooting were energised after knife terror attack’

Three men appeared in a Melbourne court today charged with planning to carry out a major terrorist attack in Australia’s second biggest city.

It would have been the second terror attack in Melbourne this month.

Hanifi Halis, 21, and brothers Ertunc Eriklioglu, 30, and Samed Eriklioglu, 26, were arrested in a series of pre-dawn raids by more than 200 anti-terrorism officers in the northern suburbs.

Police allege they were plotting a mass shooting in a crowded public place and had been inspired by Islamic State.

Victoria Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said the men, who were Australian nationals with a Turkish background, had recently attempted to obtain a .22 semi-automatic rifle.

Police believe those arrested had not decided where to strike, but they feared the attack was imminent.

“They were trying to focus on trying to have a place where they could kill as many people as possible,” he said. “We’re getting to a busy time of the year with a lot of mass gatherings and Christmas parties.”

While there appeared to be no direct link with the Bourke Street attack in the city earlier this month, in which three people were stabbed, one fatally, the commissioner said the three might have accelerated their plans.

“There’s certainly been a lot of publicity and talk about terrorism and certainly public place activity,” Mr Ashton said. “I don’t know whether that’s played a role or not, but certainly over the past week they’ve become energised about doing something more quickly.”

The court was told that the case would rely on 17,000 intercepted telephone calls and thousands of text messages. Investigations into the group’s activities had been going on for several months and their passports were cancelled earlier this year. They were remanded in custody until next April.

Today’s arrests coincided with the state funeral of Sisto Malaspina, a well-known cafe owner who was stabbed to death in the Bourke Street attack on November 9. His attacker, Hassan Khalif Shire Ali, was killed by police.