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Melbourne men could face life in prison after alleged plot to sail tinnie to Indonesia Melbourne men could face life in prison after alleged plot to sail tinnie to Indonesia
(about 1 hour later)
Five Melbourne men who allegedly wanted to use a small fishing boat to reach Indonesia and join Islamic State in Syria have been charged with terrorism-related offences.Five Melbourne men who allegedly wanted to use a small fishing boat to reach Indonesia and join Islamic State in Syria have been charged with terrorism-related offences.
The men, including Islamic preacher Musa Cerantonio, were arrested near Cairns on Tuesday towing a seven-metre fishing boat en route to Cape York in far North Queensland.The men, including Islamic preacher Musa Cerantonio, were arrested near Cairns on Tuesday towing a seven-metre fishing boat en route to Cape York in far North Queensland.
Police on Sunday said they’d been charged with one count each of making preparations for incursions into foreign countries to engage in hostile activities and could face life in prison if convicted. Police on Sunday said they had been charged with one count each of making preparations for incursions into foreign countries to engage in hostile activities and could face life in prison if convicted.
The five, aged between 21 and 31 and who remain in custody, are due to appear in Cairns Magistrates’ Court on Monday. Related: Police foil alleged jihadi plot to sail dinghy from Australia to Indonesia
The Australian federal police assistant commissioner Neil Gaughan said after their arrest they had been under investigation for a “number of weeks” and were “obviously very committed”. The five, aged between 21 and 31, and who remain in custody, are due to appear in Cairns magistrates court on Monday.
The Australian federal police assistant commissioner, Neil Gaughan, said after their arrest they had been under investigation for a “number of weeks” and were “obviously very committed”.
Among those arrested are the alleged Isis sympathiser Musa Cerantonio, Shayden Thorne, who was imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for allegedly possessing terrorist literature, and Kadir Kaya, who allegedly told Melbourne radio after his passport was revoked in October that Australia was “an open-air prison”.
The attorney general, George Brandis, said on Thursday the men had allegedly been planning to sail the boat to Indonesia en route to the Syrian war zone, where they hoped to commit “hostile acts”.