Melbourne man charged after ‘trying to leave Australia to fight ISIS

A Melbourne man has been charged for his alleged attempt to travel to Northern Iraq and involve himself in a conflict zone, police say. It remains illegal for any Australian to leave the country in order to fight against – as well as for, ISIS.

On Tuesday he was charged with preparing for incursions into foreign countries for the goal of engaging in hostile activities, one of the new offences introduced last year by the federal government to stem the flow of Australians to the conflict in Iraq and Syria.

This arrives at a time when Australian authorities strive to head off recruitment efforts from the Islamic State.

Two Australians have been killed fighting with the array of Kurdish groups involved in the conflict, including Gold Coast man Reece Harding, a member of the People’s Protection Movement, who was killed late in June.

A small number of Australians are also believed to be fighting with Kurdish forces against IS.

Melbourne man Khamis Gewargis Khamis was also revealed in February to have joined an Assyrian militia group fighting in Iraq.

Following an investigation by the Melbourne JCTT comprising of members from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Victoria Police the man was arrested on Monday night, and is expected to appear in Melbourne Magistrate’s Court today.

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It’s alleged he told Border Force officers when questioned about his travel plans that his “final destination” was to be northern Iraq. Williams also reportedly had a one-way ticket to Sulaymaniyah, in northern Iraq.

Jamie Williams, 28, was stopped by customs agents as he was boarding a flight to Qatar at Melbourne airport in December after military-style equipment and clothing were found in his luggage, the Australian Federal Police and Immigration Department said in a statement.

His house was then searched by the AFP in March, according to the ABC, when a mobile phone and computer were seized.

Outside court, his lawyer Rob Stary said Williams would apply for bail soon. If convicted, he faces a maximum punishment of life in prison. Brookman is accused of knowingly providing support to IS by undertaking guard duty and reconnaissance between April 2010 and August 2014, court documents say. Attorney-General George Brandis warns it remains illegal for Australians to travel to fight in a foreign civil war.