LIVES have been saved after a Melbourne teen’s alleged Mother’s Day bomb plot was foiled, police say.

A 17-year-old boy was charged with terrorism offences following a raid at a home in Melbourne’s north.

Three improvised pipe bombs were allegedly uncovered.

It’s claimed the teen was preparing “a terrorist act”, which police “absolutely guarantee” they have stopped.

NATIONAL OPERATION: Swift raid foils alleged city blast

“We may not know exactly where it was going to occur nor when it was exactly going to occur,” AFP Deputy Commissioner Mike Phelan said.

“But let me tell you, something was going to happen and as a result of Victoria Police and AFP interception yesterday, some Victorians are going to be alive because of it.

“There is no longer an imminent threat to the people of Victoria.”

The teen was charged with “engaging in an act in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act ... and possess things connected with a terrorist act”.

He has been remanded in custody and is expected to appear in court on Monday.

Three “suspicious items” and material associated with the making of explosive devices were allegedly found during a raid and rendered safe following controlled detonations in a nearby park last night.

Mr Phelan said a tip from a member of the public via the Australian National Security Hotline nine days ago prompted the operation.

On Thursday night, Victoria Police and AFP agreed to resolve the matter with “direct action”.

Police swooped on the home about 12.45pm Friday.

Mr Hill said at the time, the teen was leaving the property in a car with a woman.

“The 17-year-old male was taken into custody, the female was secured,” he said.

“We then cordoned and contained the address and we asked the three other occupants in the house to come forward in which they did.”

Mr Phelan described the alleged explosives as “very rudimentary”.

The impact and injury they could have caused had not been determined.

While a 14-year-old boy was spoken to during separate raids in Sydney yesterday, Mr Phelan could not confirm whether the Melbourne case had any connection.

There were “no links at all” with a separate alleged terror plot in Melbourne for ANZAC Day.

A federal forensics team arrived at the northern suburbs home today and continued to search the property.

Police extended an exclusion zone around the address, but neighbours were not asked to leave their homes.

State and federal police remain at the raided home today.

Two SES tents outside the house covered a car and what appeared to be a stack of sandbags.

Victoria Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill said the arrested boy’s family were distraught.

“His family are a caring, loving family that are now very, very distraught as a consequence of what is alleged,” he said.

“It has undoubtedly taken them by surprise.”

He urged family and friends to be aware of what young people were doing, particularly on social media.

“The solution lies with mums and dads, brothers and sisters, making observations of behaviours that are somewhat strange and not normal,” he said.

“This is a challenge for law enforcement agencies not only in Victoria, around Australia, but across the western world.

“We have a new challenge where we have young people, young people that are being influenced by radical thinking, something that we’re dealing with as a law enforcement body, with government but more importantly with community.”

The Premier, police minister and other ministers have been briefed.

Authorities urge public to use security hotline

Premier Daniel Andrews commended officers involved in the operations and admitted he had been involved in multiple private security briefings over the past few weeks.

“I have been briefed many times certainly more than twice. I was briefed last night by lead commissioner Tim Cartwright and I will be speaking with the police minister throughout the weekend ... I am here today to assure all Victorians that the government and its agencies will do anything we can to keep Victorians safe.

“I want to thank all agencies involved including of course, Victoria police members, Australian Federal Police and others for their professionalism and dedication, be in no doubt this was a very serious operation.

“We will continue to work with local communities and ... security agencies and we won’t hesitate to take all steps to keep Victorians safe.

Operation Amberd, it is important to know, is the result of someone calling a security hotline. If anyone sees anything of concern I urge them to call the security hotline.

Friday’s raid comes after the Victorian Government announced $25 million in last week’s budget to counter violent extremism including setting up an anti-terror taskforce.

“It comes with the recognition that we don’t truly understand what is driving some young people to become disconnected from school,disconnected from all the values we say define us as a modern, progressive, peaceful, inclusive and respectful state. We don’t have all the answers on this,” Mr Andrew’s said.

“We have certainly seen in these last few weeks that we have to do more and we have to do better.’’

Anyone with information about terror related matters is urged to phone the Australian National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.

Public safety the top priority

In Darwin, Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters the government had known of a very serious threat.

“There have been some raids over the last 24 hours in Sydney and Melbourne. There’s been at least one arrest,” he said.

“There is evidence of a bomb plot that was in a reasonably advanced state of preparation and the police will have more to say about this.”

Mr Phelan also said their number one priority was public safety so their risk tolerance was “extremely low” and stressed authorities did not always have a lot of information before they decide to act.

He would not confirm the alleged terror plot was aimed at Mother’s Day, as the Herald Sun believes.

“We’re sifting through a lot of information ... we can’t confirm exactly when any event was going to take place.”

Asked if the boy was working alone, the officers told reporters that they were still sifting through information but there was no longer a threat from the youth, or a group.

There were no links to Operation Rising, in which 200 heavily armed officers stormed properties in the city’s southeast on April 18, over an alleged Islamic State-inspired terror plot planned for Anzac Day.

In those raids, five men were arrested and three later charged. Nor could they confirm at this stage if the raids were linked to any others in any other jurisdiction

Investigations continue at terror raid house

A FEDERAL forensics team has this morning arrived at a house in Melbourne’s northern suburbs subject to Friday’s counter-terrorism raid.

Police have now extended an exclusion zone around the address, but neighbours have not been asked to leave their homes again.

There has been no sight of residents entering or leaving the cordoned property since 5.30am.

Police discovered improvised bombs at the home yesterday and a teenager who was arrested at the address has since been charged for terror related offences.

Two SES tents outside the house cover a car and what appears to be stack of sandbags.

State and federal police remain on site.

Locals remain concerned about the safety of their families after a teenage neighbour was arrested and charged with terrorist-related offences.

“Nikki” lives behind the property that a joint task-force on Friday raided, finding improvised bombs that were safely denoted.

“My main concern is what happens now?” she said.

“I know there were women that probably weren’t charged so do they move back in next door as well? They must have known something, so do we have to live next door to them?

“Was he working alone and they had no idea? Is that possible in your house? I’m not sure. If they know then it is scary.

“If the bombs had exploded by accident we would all have been in a bit of trouble.”

Nikki believes two boys including the 17-year-old lived at the property and said she hears them play basketball.

A hoop with a broken backboard can be seen from the street of what appears to be an affluent suburban area.

“Maria” echoed her neighbour’s sentiment when approached by media on Saturday.

“From what we know the family didn’t know anything about it,” she said.

“It’s hard for us to think is it still going to continue? Is anything else going to happen? Is there retaliation? You just don’t know.”

It’s understood neighbours were yesterday told by police to position in certain areas in their homes as a safety precaution.

Terror raids timeline

FRIDAY 8 MAY

A house in Melbourne’s north is raided and three suspected improvised explosive devices are discovered

SATURDAY 9 MAY

17-year-old boy charged with preparing to plan a terrorist act in Australia

Police say they saved lives in Victoria, but do not confirm speculation the plot targeted Mother’s Day in the Melbourne CBD

Police say the threat has been contained and there are no links to Operation Rising

MONDAY 11 MAY

17-year-old expected to face the Children’s Court

ALLEGED ANZAC DAY TERROR PLOT

SATURDAY 18 APRIL (Operation Rising)

Five young men arrested as 200 heavily-armed police officers conduct pre-dawn weekend raids in Melbourne’s southeast

Police seize knives and swords

Sevdet Ramdan Besim, 18, charged with conspiring to stage a terror act over an alleged Anzac Day terror plot

Harun Causevic, 18, interviewed by police

An 18-year-old Narre Warren man released with summons issued in relation to prohibited weapons offences

Two teens released, pending further investigation

Police in the UK arrest a 14-year-old boy in connection with an alleged Islamic State-inspired plot linked to Australia

SUNDAY 19 APRIL

Premier Daniel Andrews promises best possible security for Anzac Day events

Police continue to hold Causevic without charge after applying for the first preventative detention order to be issued in Victoria

MONDAY 20 APRIL

Causevic charged with conspiring to commit terrorist acts

TUESDAY 21 APRIL

Causevic faces court where his lawyer indicates he will apply for bail

Outside the court Causevic’s father refers to a “set-up”

WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL

Victorian police are urged to exercise caution in public

A senior Islamic State fighter calls for attacks on Australia

FRIDAY 23 APRIL

UK police charge 14-year-old boy with inciting terrorism and a beheading

Besim appears in court where his lawyer indicates he will seek bail with Causevic on April 30

THURSDAY 30 APRIL

Bail application for Besim withdrawn until further notice, while Causevic will apply for bail on Tuesday May 6

Mehran Azami, 19, of Narre Warren, charged with 19 offences related to importing knives, Tasers and knuckle dusters on top of weapons offences laid following counter-terror raids

FRIDAY 8 MAY

Court finds Causevic posed an extremely dangerous risk to public safety and he is denied bail

ashley.argoon@news.com.au