Britain's MI5 investigates man charged after Christchurch shootings: Report

Sunday, 17 March 2019

The man charged in relation to the Christchurch mosque shooting, Brenton Tarrant, appeared in court on Saturday.

Britain's security service, MI5, is reportedly investigating the man charged over the Christchurch mosque shootings, looking into possible links to far-right extremists in that country.

Fifty people have died after a man opened fire at two mosques in Christchurch. Brenton Harrison Tarrant, 28, appeared in Christchurch District Court on Saturday morning. He faced one murder charge, but police say more are likely.

Tarrant was believed to have met extreme right-wing groups during a visit to Europe two years ago, security sources told UK paper The Independent.

He reportedly started to travel about 2011 after the death of his father, heading to Turkey and Pakistan, as well as the Balkans.

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Turkey has also confirmed it is looking at the man's visits to that country, and Bulgarian authorities said he had visited Bulgaria last year.

New Zealand security intelligence officers are also piecing together a picture of Tarrant's background that includes travelling the world and sporadically spending time in Dunedin.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the alleged gunman was an Australian citizen.

Ardern said despite the attacks being carried out in Christchurch, he had been based in Dunedin.

'This individual was not on the radar of either the New Zealand intelligence agencies to the Australian agencies.'

Last year, Tarrant posted a message on Facebook, referring to a trip to Pakistan, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

'…[A]n incredible place filled with the most earnest, kind hearted and hospitable people in the world.'

Tarrant is also believed to have travelled to North Korea, India and Japan.

He had posted a manifesto online in several forums and emailed it to media outlets, including Stuff. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has asked New Zealanders and media companies not to share or engage with content that he had posted.

'We should not share, spread, or actively engage in that message of hate,' Ardern said. She had been given assurances that social media platforms were working to remove the footage.