Prominent Melbourne neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell has been charged along with three other men as part of a significant police operation.
The charges were laid after counter-terror police and other officers raided homes in North Melbourne, Point Cook, Baxter, Ashwood and Wantirna South early this morning as part of a “day of action against the National Socialist Network”, a neo-Nazi group.
The 31-year-old from Wantirna South was charged with two counts of intimidating a police officer or police officer’s family member.
Investigators say the charges follow two incidents last month.
The first relates to alleged online comments following an attempt by neo-Nazis to disrupt a refugee protest camp outside the Department of Home Affairs on Bourke Street on October 22.
Police said Sewell was also interviewed over the alleged burning of a national flag outside an embassy in Toorak on October 26 and released pending further inquiries under the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act.
In a separate investigation, three men are expected to be charged on summons after several men dressed in offensive clothing allegedly verbally harassed two women in a Port Melbourne car park about 7.30pm on Halloween.
Police said a 25-year-old North Melbourne man, a 23-year-old Baxter man and a 21-year-old Ashwood man were all interviewed in relation to serious racial vilification and grossly offensive public conduct. They were released and expected to be charged on summons.
“Police take a zero-tolerance approach to any acts of prejudice motivated crime or intimidation of police officers,” Victoria Police said, in a statement.
Sewell was granted bail to appear at Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on February 18.
