A terror plot to detonate three bombs in Melbourne has been foiled by police, authorities in Australia say.A 17-year-old was arrested over the allegations at his home in the city, where police say they found the explosive devices before they were made safe by the bomb squad.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott described the threat as “very serious”.
“There have been some raids over the last 24 hours in Sydney and Melbourne,” he said.
“There’s been at least one arrest. There is evidence of a bomb plot that was in a reasonably advanced state of preparation.”
Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Phelan said authorities’ intervention had saved lives.
“We’ve got to examine lot of material that was seized at the premises, sift through a lot of intelligence,” he said.
“We have to get the full picture so we may not know exactly where it was going to occur nor when it was exactly going to occur, but let me tell you something was going to happen.
“As a result of the Victoria police and AFP interception yesterday, some Victorians are going to be alive because of it. Had we not intervened, there was a real threat of action being taken.”
He added that police had contained the plot and there was no further threat from the suspect or his colleagues to the people of Victoria.