An Adelaide man has faced court accused of planning a terrorist act.
Key points:
- Artem Vasilyev was charged with more than 30 offences last September
- The new charges relate to explosives
- He is expected to issue a plea next month
Artem Vasilyev, 25, was charged on Monday with numerous Commonwealth offences, including acts to prepare for or plan a terrorist act.
Mr Vasilyev, who is in custody, was first charged in September last year with more than 30 offences, including possessing information for terrorist acts and possessing instructions to make an explosive device.
The Findon man faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court via video link from custody today, with the court hearing Australian Federal Police had recently laid fresh charges.
Court documents seen by ABC News allege Mr Vasilyev imported, manufactured and possessed weapons, explosive substances and documents “in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act” between July 2020 and September 2021.
The documents reveal he is further accused of possessing explosive substances, firearms and ammunition at his home he shared with his mother in Findon “that were connected with the preparation for a terrorist act and the defendant knew of the connection of the thing to the preparation for a terrorist act”.
Court documents revealed last September that Mr Vasilyev had recently applied for an Australian passport after not holding one for many years, which police presumed was for the “sole purpose of attempting to leave the country”.
Those documents also stated Mr Vasilyev did not have social networks beyond his mother, and that he socialised predominantly through online means.
“Even then, it appears distanced and non-personal,” the documents read.
The court also previously heard Mr Vasilyev had “above-average knowledge of cyber and physical operational security”.
The Adelaide Magistrates Court today heard there was “some overlap” between those alleged offences and the new charges which allege Mr Vasilyev was planning or preparing for a terrorist act.
Mr Vasilyev has been remanded in custody to face court again next month, where he is expected to enter a plea to the alleged offences.
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