National

New Year's Eve traffic stop leads to terror offences

Feb 19, 2026

Terror charge — A man has been charged with terror-related offences over extremist material. -PR HANDOUT

A man has been charged with terrorism offences after phones seized in a New Year's Eve traffic stop showed he allegedly stored "violent extremist material."

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Police patrolling the Yagoona area in southwest Sydney on December 31 searched the 31-year-old man's Toyota sedan and seized drugs, cash and three mobile phones.

Abdalla El Chami was charged with drug possession and vehicle compliance offences and granted bail on New Year's Day.

But further investigations with the assistance of counter-terrorism officers into the mobile phones led to his arrest on Wednesday.

Police raided his home executing a federal warrant with footage showing the heavily tattooed El Chami wearing white shorts and shirtless sitting handcuffed on the steps leading to the entrance.

During the search, officers allegedly seized more mobile phones and storage devices as well as a knife.

He was charged with using a carriage service to possess violent extremist material and possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit.

The terror-related offences came into effect in January 2024 carrying a maximum penalty of five years in jail.

El Chami was granted conditional bail to appear in court in early March.