UPDATE: On Friday, Nov. 7, the charge of attempting to procure a murder against Phil Rudd was withdrawn due to insufficient evidence.
The drummer from Australian rock band AC/DC, Phil Rudd, has been charged in New Zealand with plotting to murder two men.
His house in Tauranga was raided by police at 7 a.m. local time on Thursday morning, Fairfax Media's New Zealand website reported, before the 60-year-old Australian rocker was taken into custody. Local media reports stated it was following a tip-off.
According to court documents, Rudd is accused of attempting to hire one person to kill two others between Sept. 25 and Sept. 26, AAP reported.
This afternoon he was charged with attempting to procure a murder in New Zealand's Taurange District Court, before being released on bail. He entered no plea and is scheduled to appear in court again on Nov. 27.
Details surrounding the identity of the victims and the hitman in the alleged murder plot have been suppressed by the judge. Rudd is also charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill.
Michael Browning, the band's ex-manager, told the Daily Mail Australia it was a "bit of a shock, but there you go," after hearing the news of the arrest.
After being kicked out of the band in 1983, Rudd took refuge in New Zealand where he spent his days "racing cars, flying helicopters, and farming." He then re-joined the hugely successful hard rock band in 1994 and produced three new albums, plus a solo album this year.
The band is known across Australia for their distinctive pub rock anthems and have sold more than 200 million albums worldwide. AC/DC's new album, Rock or Bust, is due out on Dec. 2. Rudd was absent for the publicity campaign in November.