A 43-year-old United Kingdom citizen living in Queensland has been charged by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) for allegedly displaying prohibited Nazi symbols, in a case that unfolded just as the agency launched a week-long national blitz targeting hate imagery and extremist material.
The AFP’s National Security Investigations (NSI) teams carried out the coordinated crackdown, resulting in further action against a 21-year-old Queensland man and a 25-year-old man from Sydney’s northwest. The operation was part of a broader effort to disrupt individuals and groups undermining Australia’s social cohesion.
Investigators from the AFP’s Brisbane NSI team began probing the UK citizen in October, alleging he used two different X (formerly Twitter) handles to post the Nazi Hakenkreuz, promote pro-Nazi ideology, express hatred towards the Jewish community and advocate violence. The AFP claims the man continued posting after X blocked his main account, creating a second, similarly named profile to resume sharing “offensive, harmful and targeted” material between 10 October and 5 November 2025.
A search warrant executed at a Caboolture home on 21 November uncovered a mobile phone and several weapons, including axes, knives and swords marked with swastika imagery. The man was charged with three counts of publicly displaying prohibited Nazi symbols and one count of using a carriage service to menace or harass. The offences carry maximum penalties of five and three years’ imprisonment respectively. He faced Caboolture Magistrates Court last Wednesday, with the matter adjourned to 7 January 2026.
The wider NSI operation, which concluded on 4 December, targeted the importation and sale of prohibited symbols across New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria. Fourteen disruption activities resulted in the voluntary surrender of multiple items, as well as the seizure of two flags and two extremist publications.
One Brisbane man, aged 21, was arrested after AFP officers found a large quantity of Nazi-themed flags and literature allegedly imported into the country. Investigators also claim they uncovered violent extremist material on his electronic devices. He has been charged with two counts of possessing or controlling violent extremist material and will reappear in court on 16 January 2026.
In Sydney, a 25-year-old Castle Hill man was issued a court attendance notice after allegedly performing a Nazi salute at a recent public event. He has been charged with performing a Nazi salute in public, an offence that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 12 months’ imprisonment.
The blitz relied on intelligence provided by Australian Border Force, which flagged several consignments containing prohibited symbols. While importing such items is not itself an offence, the AFP used the intelligence to assess potential risks and issue warnings to recipients.
AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt said the operation was aimed at both enforcement and education. “This week of disruption was as much about ensuring people were not inadvertently committing criminal offences as it was about bolstering our efforts to safeguard social cohesion,” he said.
“The AFP will not tolerate intimidation, threats or calls for violence against vulnerable communities. If these symbols are being used to fracture social cohesion, we will act swiftly.”
ABF Assistant Commissioner Tony Smith said frontline border visibility and intelligence were essential to identifying extremist-related imports. “This week of action reinforces that we will work diligently with our partners to identify and intercept those who may threaten our community safety and cohesion,” he said.
The AFP established the NSI teams in September 2025 to monitor and disrupt individuals and groups posing high-risk threats to Australia’s social cohesion, including the targeting of Jewish communities.
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