Former Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU) branch boss John Setka has been charged with sending threatening emails to the union's administrator.

The 61-year-old was arrested in the inner-west Melbourne suburb of Footscray on Wednesday morning by detectives from Taskforce Hawk, the unit investigating allegations of criminal behaviour linked to the construction industry.

Federal police served him with a Commonwealth search warrant, seizing a mobile phone and an iPad.

Mr Setka was interviewed and charged with seven counts of using a telecommunications device to menace, harass and offend.

Investigators alleged Mr Setka sent a number of threatening, offensive and abusive emails to a CFMEU administrator after a legal notice was served in October.

The federal governme

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