Melbourne man facing charges linked to extremist group chat, AFP say

A Melbourne man has been been charged with possessing violent extremist material, after he was arrested at the airport ahead of a scheduled flight to the Middle East. 

Police allege the 30-year-old man, from Roxburgh Park in Melbourne's outer-north, had been part of a chat with a group of other men who police allege have been sharing violent extremist material. 

"We allege this individual was part of a dedicated online network operating within Australia, motivated by sharing and distributing violent extremist material, including ISIS propaganda," said Australian Federal Police (AFP) commander Paula Hudson.

The man was arrested at Melbourne's international airport overnight.

Police also allege that after his arrest, the man refused to let authorities access his electronic devices when presented with a court order. 

He has been charged with possessing violent extremist material, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and for refusing access to devices. 

He is expected to face court later today. 

The 30-year-old is the sixth Victorian man in recent months to be charged by the AFP's National Security Investigations team.