Three men charged with plotting a terror attack in Melbourne were nabbed after an investigation spanning more than a year.
Phone calls, text messages and thousands of hours of recorded conversations, some in Turkish, will be analysed as part of the case against the trio, Melbourne Magistrates Court was told on Tuesday.
Hanifi Halis, 21, and brothers Samed Eriklioglu, 26, and Ertunc Eriklioglu, 30, faced court following their arrests earlier in the day during a series of raids across northern Melbourne.
During a brief hearing, the accused terror plotters hunched over trying to shield themselves from a sketch artist.
The bearded men sat side-by-side in court with the youngest, Halis, wearing a white tunic.
The trio was arrested after an investigation over more than 12 months.
A prosecutor told court more than 17,000 phone intercepts, 10,500 text messages and 7800 hours of recordings from listening devices will be analysed as part of the case.
The listening device material alone would take 325 days to process if played continuously, the court was told.
The prosecution sought at least four months in order to prepare a brief of evidence for the court.
The men are each charged with one count of preparing or planning for a terrorist act.
Lawyers for the three men confirmed their ages and that none of the men had been in custody before.
The lawyer for Ertunc Eriklioglu said his client would need to see a nurse because he sustained injuries during arrest.
Magistrate Simon Zubrowski ordered a brief of evidence be served by March 19.
The accused men were remanded in custody until April, when they are due back in court.
Australian Associated Press
