A man accused of preparing to travel to Syria to take up arms is connected to an extremist criminal syndicate alleged to have been recruiting Australians to fight with terrorists in the war-torn country, a Melbourne court heard.
Court documents allege Amin Mohamed, 23, obtained a phone service under a false name, applied for a New Zealand passport and booked a flight to Istanbul, Turkey, with intent to enter Syria and engage in "armed hostilities", Herald Sun reported.
Mohamed is accused of obtaining contact details of a Turkish man to facilitate his travel to Syria from Sydney-based Hamdi Al Qudsi, the 39-year-old alleged ringleader of a criminal syndicate recruiting people to fight against the Assad government.
Al Qudsi was charged with seven offences last December, including being a conduit for people leaving Australia to fight in armed hostilities against the Syrian government.
Police alleged five young men left Australia for that purpose between late June and July last year.
Amin Mohamed, 23, was also arrested last year as he was due to board a plane from Brisbane airport to Syria, allegedly to help fight in the conflict.
Commonwealth prosecutor Andrew Doyle told Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday that Mohamed was originally charged in Sydney as part of a bigger operation, but the crimes allegedly occurred in Victoria.
The court heard Mohamed was being held in detention at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre in NSW, but may be transferred to custody in Maribyrnong.
Mohamed’s nationality is not known.
He was charged by the Australian Federal Police with four counts of preparing to enter a foreign state with intent to engage in hostile activity under the Crimes (Foreign Incursions and Recruitment Act) 1978.
Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
Mohamed will return to court for a committal mention next month.