Police carrying out anti-terror raids out in Melbourne, connected to Brighton siege

That's all for today's blog. 

This article from breaking news reporter Ebony Bowden provides a full summary of this morning's raids:

Early morning anti-terrorism raids in Ascot Vale linked to Brighton siege 

A group of AFP officers, some wearing masks and others in plain clothes, are currently searching through a housing commission flat on Churchill Avenue in Ascot Vale.

Residents are milling around to watch the police as they gather evidence, which is being collected on an outside balcony. 

Resident Vinny Dee said the noise created by the officers forcing their way inside the apartment early on Friday morning woke him up.

"When I heard police getting through this morning I thought it was something to do with drugs," he said.

Mr Dee said the apartment area had a problem with crime, particularly home invasions. 

"It's the Bronx, man," he said, when asked about the area.

In case you missed it, here is the Victoria Police press conference on the raids. 

Victoria Police Deputy C​ommissioner Shane Patton has said this morning's raids were on properties connected with people who may have supplied Yacqub Khayre with the firearms he used to carry out Monday's Brighton siege. 

Three Melbourne properties were raided, in Ascot Vale, Glenroy and Gladstone Park, and a 31-year-old man has been arrested.

Police also seized an imitation shotgun in the raid on the Gladstone Park property and are interviewing two other men there. 

Deputy C​ommissioner Patton hailed the bravery of the Special Operations Group members who carried out the raids, knowing that three of their colleagues had been injured in Monday's siege. 

"I take my hat off to them," he said. "Here they are again executing warrants quite courageously, not knowing what they are getting into." 

Here are the main points from Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton's press conference: 

• Victoria Police Special Operations Group, in conjunction with the AFP and ASIO, executed warrants at three properties today. The raids were in connection with Monday's Brighton siege. 
• 1: An Ascot Vale unit, where nobody was present at the time. It is still being searched.
• ​2: A Glenroy property, where five people were present. A 32-year-old Australian male has been taken into custody and is being interviewed.
• 3: A Gladstone Park property, where police are talking to a 31-year-old man and his 51-year-old father. An imitation shotgun was found at the property. Both men are Australians. 
• Those raided may have been involved in providing firearms to Yacqub Khayre.
• He stressed those involved have no known links to terrorism but were known to police through their criminal history. 

The press conference has now concluded. 

The Victoria Police press conference with Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton has gotten underway. 

You can watch it at the Victoria Police website, or stick around here on the blog, where we will be summarising the updates.  

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton will be holding a press conference about this morning's raids at 9am. 

You can watch the press conference online at the Victoria Police website once it gets underway, and we will also be summarising the key points from the address here in the blog. 

ABC news journalist Peter Lusted reports that sniffer dogs and Australian Federal Police are at an apartment block in Ascot Vale.

Detectives have been photographed bagging items at a public housing estate.

Reporter Ebony Bowden has summarised what we know about the raids so far.

Early morning anti-terrorism raids in Ascot Vale linked to Brighton siege

• Victoria Police and the Joint Counter Terrorism Team are carrying out anti-terror raids in Melbourne's northern suburbs
• Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the raids are connected with the Brighton siege on Monday 
• One of the properties searched was in Ascot Vale, where residents reported police searching rubbish bins on Epsom Road. 
• Victoria Police has put out a statement saying "as this relates to an ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further". 

We're keeping the blog going as more information emerges. 

Metro reports the Upfield line in Melbourne's north has been suspended between Coburg and North Melbourne. Buses are replacing trains. 

Update: Metro's Sammie Black says the suspension is because of maintenance work on Flemington Bridge.

"Just after 1.30am on Flemington Bridge as we were conducting maintenance work one of our maintenance trucks carrying concrete sleepers became stranded on the bridge. There were no injuries and no major damage to the bridge. However a crane will be required to remove the truck," she said.

More on those anti-terror raids:

One caller told radio station 3AW he saw Special Operations Group police "driving like mad" and up to 20 police running around on a major road.

The raids are taking place in Melbourne's northern suburbs, including Ascot Vale.

"They were in transit but they're obviously close because they were running. There were cops running and the SOGs were following at a rate of knots," he said.
 

Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed the anti-terror raids in Melbourne this morning are connected to the Brighton siege on Monday.

"A number of warrants are bing executed in Melbourne as we speak," he told Sky News.

"We are obviously limited in what we can say. We don't want to put any of our operational staff in harm's way."

He said the raids were in "connection with the terrible, tragic events of Monday in Brighton".

The Premier is in Hobart for a COAG meeting between the states and the federal government. Tighter parole laws have been flagged for discussion at the meeting. 

"Terror is not half a world away, there are very real threats in communities right across our nation," he said.

Today reporter Christine Ahern is in Ascot Vale: 

She said the raids were being carried out at a property on Epsom Road, but that police had already left the scene by the time she arrived at the scene.

Here is the statement Victoria Police just put out on the raids in Ascot Vale, in Melbourne's north:

"Victoria Police and their partners within the Joint Counter Terrorism Team are conducting a police operation in the northern suburbs this morning."

"As this relates to an ongoing investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further. 

"The safety of the community and our members is paramount and more information will be released when it is safe to do so."

Anti-terror raids are being conducted in Ascot Vale this morning, police have confirmed. 

A caller to radio station 3AW said he saw up to 15 police running around and searching rubbish bins in the area.

We'll bring you more as we have it.

Do you know more? Let us know: 

A man who held up a Derrimut service station with a gun last night remains on the run.

It's alleged he entered the Fitzgerald Road business about 9pm and stole a quantity of cash before fleeing the scene in a blue Ford Territory.

He was Caucasian, 175cm tall and wore a bandana over his face.

Anyone with more information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

Here is what's in the paper today: 

The front page of The Age today. Photo: Craig Butt

• The long-awaited Finkel review of Australia's electricity market will promise lower energy prices for households and business under a new Clean Energy Target, compared to under an emissions intensity scheme or the current business-as-usual scenario.
• Authorities are being urged to investigate the connection between Islamic extremism and drug addiction, with Brighton gunman Yacqub Khayre just the latest in a series of terrorists with histories of substance abuse. 
• Britain has gone to the polls, at the end of a surprise election campaign that featured two terror attacks and a Labour surge, but was predicted to end with a return to power for Theresa May's Conservatives. Polling finishes at 7am Melbourne time. 

3AW reports there has been a crash on the West Gate Bridge.