New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says he expects charges to be laid over Saturday night’s terror raids in Sydney, despite one of the four men arrested being released.

It has been five days since the NSW Joint Counter-Terrorism team raided several properties around the city after intelligence reports of a plot to take down a passenger plane using an improvised device.

One of the men arrested, Abdul El Karim Merhi, 50, was released from police custody in Sydney about 7pm on Tuesday.

“I think in the coming days, as this matter progresses, in my opinion people will be charged,” Commissioner Fuller said.

“I support the operation. New South Wales Police did a fantastic job in this.

“We mobilised quickly and from my perspective we stopped what could have been a terrible crime.”

NSW Police have some of the country’s strongest anti-terrorism powers.

However, they must lay charges by Saturday, or release the men.

“Terrorism is very different to other crimes, you cannot wait until you have the perfect brief,” Commissioner Fuller said.

“You cannot wait until you have all the pieces of the puzzle because you can’t afford to let the criminal act happen.”

– ABC