A teenage boy has been charged over alleged plans to carry out acts of violence against random members of the public.
Counter-terrorism detectives arrested the 14-year-old in Maryborough, Queensland, on Monday, following an investigation launched on August 25 after police were alerted to a potential threat in the area.
Detectives executed search warrants at several places on August 27 and 28, including the teenager’s home, where electronic devices and other items were seized for forensic examination.
Police allege the teenager had been planning acts of violence for months, with digital evidence recovered from the seized devices identifying three potential public targets.
Detective Inspector Chris Knight, from the Queensland Police Service Counter-Terrorism Investigation Group, said the alleged preparations had progressed to the point where police believed an attack could have occurred within days.
“We will allege that there were acts of violence that were going to be carried out on random people within the community.”
Police have not disclosed the specific places or whether a school was among the alleged targets.
The teenager has been charged with acts in preparation to cause death or grievous bodily harm, possession of a knife in a public place and possession of violent extremist material.
Police allege the teenager was acting independently, with Knight saying investigators had found no evidence he had communicated with anyone else about the preparations.
The arrest comes four months after another teenager was charged in Maryborough over alleged plans to kill schoolchildre n in an unrelated investigation.