Hanifi Halis, 21, was arrested at a Greenvale property and later charged with planning a terrorist act. Samed Eriklioglu leaves AFP offices in Melbourne on Tuesday. Credit:Channel Nine What are they accused of? Police allege the men were planning a terrorist act in Melbourne. The location was not known but the men were allegedly inspired by Islamic State and aimed to kill as many people as possible in a crowded space.

The men had been monitored since March last year but police allege they had tried to source a semi-automatic rifle in recent weeks and their communications had become more "energised" in the wake of the Bourke Street terror attack on November 9. Hanifi Halis, 21, was arrested in Greenvale and charged with terrorism offences. Credit:Channel Nine What is their background? All three are Australian nationals of Turkish background. The three men had all had their passports cancelled this year in January, March and October. Authorities had suspected they wanted to travel to a conflict zone.

Ertunc Eriklioglu outside AFP offices. Credit:Justin McManus How were they arrested? Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and other agencies from the Joint Counter Terrorism Team conducted raids across Melbourne's north-west about 3am on Tuesday. Four properties were raided in Dallas, Campbellfield, Greenvale and Coolaroo. The three men were taken into custody and faced Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Tuesday afternoon.

What happened in the Campbellfield raid? Armagan Eriklioglu said heavily-armed police had burst into the house about 3am, pointed guns at the family and arrested his son, Samed. Mr Eriklioglu claimed police had smashed windows and doors of the house. "My mum’s bungalow [out the back] was smashed, very messy, the doors are gone," he said. On Tuesday afternoon shattered glass from the broken front windows was scattered all over the well-kempt front yard.

Police are believed to have seized two Korans and a number of CDs which contained the teachings of Islamic scholars What happened in the Dallas raid? Ertunc Eriklioglu was arrested by police who raided his Dallas house on Tuesday morning. Neighbours were shocked to see police storming the home. Loading

"It's pretty scary after what happened the week before last in the city," one neighbour said. "That's why we came to Australia to get away from things like this but it seems to be happening more and more." On Tuesday afternoon, the front windows of the unit were smashed with shards of glass on the doorstep and the blinds drawn. Pairs of shoes, a plastic bag of rubbish and children’s toys were scattered on the front doorstep. How many people have been charged with terror offences?

Since September 2014, when the threat level was raised, 90 people have been charged in relation to 40 counter-terrorism investigations across the nation, police say. In Victoria, there have been four major terror plots foiled since 2014. What police said Police Commissioner Graham Ashton said the alleged terror plot was inspired by Islamic State and designed to kill as many as possible in a crowded place in Melbourne. "It's our view that whilst a specific location was not finalised, there was a view towards a crowded place, a place where maximum people would be attending, to be able to kill, we allege, a maximum amount of people as possible," Mr Ashton said.

Australian Federal Police Assistant Commissioner Ian McCartney said the consequences of the men's alleged actions would have been "chilling". What the politicians said Premier Daniel Andrews called it a "potentially deadly" plot. "The seriousness of this potential incident, should not be underestimated and we congratulate and we are very grateful, all of us, as Victorians for the work that's being done," he said. “We faced last night a very serious threat.