North Melbourne counter-terror operation: man arrested outside church

Heavily armed officers have swooped near a Melbourne church and raided a nearby apartment in a counter-terror operation.

A person has been arrested during a counter-terror operation in Melbourne. Picture: Carrie Greenbank/Nine

Heavily armed officers took two people into custody near a Melbourne church this afternoon and raided a nearby apartment in a counter-terror swoop.

Counter-terror forces wearing camouflage gear and holding automatic rifles pounced on the man about midday at the St Mary’s Anglican Church in North Melbourne.

Video footage shot from a nearby backpacker’s hostel showed the man being detained on the ground near the church and then dressed in a white plastic forensic suit.

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A man wearing what appeared to be a forensic suit has been arrested by counter-terrorism police near St Mary's church in North Melbourne.

Police have stressed there is no current or impending threat to the community.

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A woman was also taken into custody in the operation, which was part of a joint investigation by Victoria Police and the Australian Federal Police.

Police have been tight-lipped about the incident, but said it was the work of the Joint Counter Terrorism Team and that “there is no current of impending threat to the community”.

“This operation is not linked to a specific incident and is part of the JCTT’s ongoing intelligence- gathering,” a Victoria Police statement said.

Dozens of onlookers watched on as police ordered them to stay indoors, closed down nearby streets and stood with the man for at least two hours, before dressing him in the forensic outfit and taking him away.

Nearby workers said the police action seemed to focus on the church.

A man has been arrested near St Marys Anglican Church on Queensberry Rd, North Melbourne.

French tourist Amine Dieuba said he was about to leave a hostel across the road from the church when he saw “military” style police with assault weapons with the man, whom he thought was aged in his 30s.

“The guy was wearing sportswear, with sneakers. He’s got the hoodie on, all black,” Mr Dieuba said. “He was just sitting in front of the church next to the military.

“They stayed for maybe two hours. We see military, we see cops.

“He was just sitting, was fairly quiet and sitting there for two hours. And then some guys in suits came and gave him a white (coverall) to put on, and they put plastic bags on his hands.”

Another onlooker, Dylan Bertide, said the man appeared to have been silent throughout the whole operation.

“The (tactical unit officer) tried to chat with him, but the guy didn’t react,” Mr Bertide said.

One neighbour said she heard someone shout “Get down on the ground”.

“I looked out the window and saw the man on the ground with police in camouflage gear sort of on top of him,” she told the Herald Sun.

“The police had these huge ­assault rifles and it looked really serious.”

ABC presenter Virginia Trioli was in the same street at the time and described seeing heavily armed officers pointing at a man who was on the ground and that there was a woman across the road whom someone was “overlooking”.

Another witness, Axel Bret Morel, said despite the police presence, everything seemed “calm” while he was watching.

Police also swooped on an apartment in nearby Bedford Street and forensic investigators remained there last night.

Residents inside the building described seeing police standing in stairwells as officers searched the first-floor apartment.

Police photographers could also be seen on a balcony, which some residents said was part of an apartment in which a man and a woman had been living.

“It’s so scary,” one resident told reporters at the scene.

No charges were laid last night.

“We can confirm that two ­people are currently assisting with inquiries,” a Victoria Police spokesman said this afternoon. “There is no current or ­impending threat to the community (and) it would not be ­appropriate to comment further at this time.”

Additional reporting: Remy Varga