Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers use a dog to inspect equipment
Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers use a dog to inspect equipment belonging to members of the media during the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in the northern Australian city of Cairns September 20, 2014. As the Group of 20 leading economies meet to change no less than the "destiny" of the global economy, members remain divided on how to get there with Germany pushing back at U.S. calls for more government stimulus. Opening the meeting of finance ministers and central bankers, Australian Treasurer Joe Hockey outlined an ambitious agenda of boosting world growth, fireproofing the global banking system and closing tax loopholes for giant multi-nationals. Reuters/Lincoln Feast

Police arrested two people in counter-terrorism raids in Sydney on Thursday. A 15-year-old boy and a 20-year-old man have been charged over conducting terrorist activity in Australia. The unnamed teenager from George Hall and the adult from Raby, named Ibrahim Ghazzawy, were busted under the Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police’s Operation Appleby.

Police are also expected to charge three other persons with the same offence on the same day. The police also conducted raids in Bankstown, Merrylands and Wiley Park.

“The charges laid today are the direct result of ongoing investigations from materials seized in previous Operation Appleby activity in Sydney during September and December,” AFP Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan said in a statement.

“The JCTT [Joint Counter Terrorism Team] conducted disruption activity to ensure the safety of the community last year, and has continued to examine the evidence gathered and investigate potential criminal offences. We will allege that the charges today relate to evidence of a criminal act.”

Phelan said during a press conference that documents have been obtained during the raid that contained mention of AFP headquarters. The officials were working on the documents and were analysing them.

NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Special Operations Catherine Burn seconded the information communicated by AFP and said that it was very disappointing to see teenagers involved in such terror-oriented activities. “To be putting a 15-year-old before the courts on very serious charges that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment demonstrates the difficulties law enforcement face,” Burn said.

Furthermore, she thanked the officers for carrying out Operation Appleby with complete dedication and disrupting terror plans and putting the suspects behind bars.

Operation Appleby is concerned with identifying and protecting Australia from terror attacks. In the raid in 2014, 15 people were arrested. Both the people arrested by the police will be presented in court on Thursday.

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