AFP Special Operation Avalite has charged a Victorian man with allegedly calling a political organisation and making offensive antisemitic comments.
The Toorloo Arm man, 64, was charged today (5 February, 2025) with one count of using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence, contrary to section 474.17(1) of the Criminal Code (Cth).
The offence has a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment.
The AFP will allege the man called the Canberra office of a political organisation on two occasions on 21 January, 2025, making antisemitic and abusive statements both times.
AFP Special Operation Avalite investigators, with the assistance of Victoria Police, arrested the man following a vehicle stop in Lakes Entrance this morning (5 February, 2025).
The man was subject to a search warrant and his mobile phone was seized for further forensic examination.
He was granted conditional bail and is expected to appear before Bairnsdale Magistrates Court on 26 March, 2025.
AFP Counter Terrorism and Special Investigations Command Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said Special Operation Avalite was committed to keeping Australians safe.
"It is abhorrent that parliamentarians and members of our community are being targeted and threatened because of their race or religious views," he said.
"The experienced investigators and analysts working under Special Operation Avalite have a number of individuals under investigation and the community should expect further charges.
"If you engage in antisemitic conduct, you will be investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."
Under Special Operation Avalite, AFP officers and analysts, representing an experienced squad of counter terrorism investigators, continue to deploy nationally to investigate incidents:
- Urging violence against members of groups;
- Advocating terrorism;
- Advocating genocide;
- Using a carriage service to make a threat;
- Using a carriage service to menace or harass;
- Unlawful display of prohibited symbols; and
- Using a carriage service to make available personal data of one or more individuals or members of certain groups (Doxxing).
To ensure resources and capability are deployed efficiently, Special Operation Avalite does not replicate state and territory police antisemitism investigations.
