A Sydney man has been charged with foreign incursion offences after allegedly travelling to a Middle Eastern war zone to take up arms.
The 25-year-old, understood to be the first Australian-based person to be charged with the foreign fighter offence, was arrested on Tuesday morning in Mount Lewis in Sydney’s southwest.
The man allegedly travelled to the Syrian conflict zone in March, 2015, and returned in October that year.
A 25-year-old Sydney man will face court, charged with foreign incursion offences after allegedly travelling to a Middle Eastern war zone to take up arms
The man allegedly travelled to the Syrian conflict zone in March, 2015, and returned in October that year
Police say the man had been subject to ongoing investigations since he returned from Syria.
A spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police told Daily Mail Australia the man was travelling to a declared ISIS region, but could not confirm whether he was there to fight.
Members of the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team, which includes the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, state and federal police, were involved in the operation.
Police say the man had been subject to ongoing investigations since he returned from Syria (stock image)
The man has been charged with incursion into foreign countries with the intention of engaging hostile activities, which carries the maximum penalty of life imprisonment, according to police.
He has also been charged with entering and remaining in a ‘declared area,’ an offence which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison.
The man is due to appear before Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday.
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