The Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team comprising officers from the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and ASIO has executed a total of five search warrants at a number of locations across Melbourne on Friday.

Police said it was not in response to any identified threat however it was associated with the incident at Brighton on Monday, specifically the supply of firearms.

Earlier on Friday warrants were executed at three residences in Gladstone Park, Ascot Vale and Glenroy.

Police said a number of items were taken for further examination including an imitation firearm, computers, mobile phones and other material.

A further two search warrants were executed in West Meadows and Reservoir on Friday afternoon.

Police said no-one has been charged with any offence. The 32-year-old man arrested in Glenroy was released without charge.

Dawn raids

About 150 people from state and federal police and national security service ASIO simultaneously raided properties in three Melbourne suburbs about 5am on Friday.

A Gladstone Park father and son, aged 51 and 31 were spoken to by police.

Police forced entry into a Housing Commission flat in Ascot Vale and items were being bagged as evidence by police.

The Victorian premier said it was related to the deadly Brighton siege on Monday when Yacqub Khayre killed hotel clerk Kai Hao, took a woman hostage and wounded three police officers.

“They are not persons of national security interest, but they are persons who are known to us through their criminal history,” Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton told a news conference on Friday.

“As a result of the investigation by the Joint Counter Terrorism Team … it has led us to execute [warrants] this morning.

“They may be involved in the provision of firearms in this matter,” he said.

“I want to make perfectly clear, we haven’t yet uncovered anybody with links to terrorism who are associated with the offender from the Brighton attack.” – Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton.

Sky News cited Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews saying the Friday morning raids were connected to Monday night’s Brighton siege in which Melbourne man Yacqub Khayre shot and killed Chinese-born Kai Hao and held an escort hostage before dying in a hail of bullets.