NZ man charged in Perth with allegedly possessing violent extremist material

A New Zealand national who allegedly had videos on his phone of multiple overseas terrorist incidents is expected to appear in Perth Magistrates Court today (24 February, 2026) charged with possessing violent extremist material.

Australian Border Force (ABF) officers stopped the man, 24, for a baggage examination at Perth Airport yesterday morning (23 February, 2026) after he arrived on a flight from overseas.

Police allege the ABF officers found suspicious material and immediately alerted the AFP.

The Western Australia Joint Counter Terrorism Team (WA JCTT) – which comprises AFP, Western Australia Police Force (WAPF) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) – began an investigation with assistance from the WA Police State Security Investigations Group (SSIG).

A review of the phone identified data accessed via the internet that allegedly constitutes violent extremist material, including videos of violent killings overseas linked to varying ideologies and videos about manufacturing home-made explosives.

Read more: Australian Federal Police