Two New South Wales teenagers have been charged with allegedly possessing violent extremist material after police searched one of their homes and found a ballistic-style vest, several notebooks and literature they allege contained extremist references.

The Australian federal police and NSW police released a statement on Friday morning confirming the boys, aged 15 and 16 and both from Moree in northern NSW, had been charged with possession of alleged extremist material after a joint counterterrorism investigation.

The investigation began in December when New England police received information a teenager was allegedly accessing extremist material online.

On 27 March, investigators searched a home and seized a mobile phone, a ballistic-style vest and several notebooks. The 15-year-old boy was charged at the time.

Following a forensic examination of the items, federal and state investigators swooped on two Moree homes on Thursday, where handwritten notes and pieces of literature allegedly containing extremist references were seized.

The 15-year old was then arrested and charged with knowingly collecting and making documents connected with terrorism, and using a carriage service to transmit violent extremist material.

Another boy, 16, was also arrested and charged with using a carriage service to possess violent extremist material.

Both have been refused bail and will appear before Parramatta children’s court on Friday.