Victoria Police confirmed on Tuesday, November 28, they had arrested a man over an alleged terrorism plot planned for Melbourne at New Year’s Eve.

The 20-year-old man from Werribee intended to use a firearm to “kill as many people as he could” at Melbourne’s Federation Square on New Year’s Eve, but did not managed to obtain the firearm, police said. The man, an Australian citizen of Somalian heritage that police had been monitoring since the beginning of the year, was arrested in Werribee about 3 pm on Monday by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team.

Police assured people of Victoria that there was “no risk or no threat to the Victorian community” after the man was removed from society. Credit: Victoria Police via Storyful