2 Australians Charged For ’Syria Recruiting’ As New Measures Announced

Local Editor

Two men charged in Australia with allegedly recruiting, funding and sending extremist fighters to Syria faced court on Thursday as Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced new measures to stem terrorism financing.

The two men, Omar Succarieh, 31, and Agim Kruezi, 21, appeared in a Brisbane court after their arrests in anti-terrorism raids on Wednesday following a year-long police investigation.

Police said Succarieh -- the brother of Abu Asma al Australi, the first suspected Australian suicide bomber in Syria -- and Kruezi have links to militant group, the so-called "al-Nusra Front" in Syria.
Both men were remanded in custody and will return to court on October 17.

Australia's spy chief David Irvine said recently this week that he was "actively considering" raising the nation's terror threat level to ‘high' from ‘medium' over concerns about the involvement of Australians in overseas extremist groups.

Abbott meanwhile said in a joint statement with Attorney-General George Brandis that, "The consequences of participating in terrorism financing are severe and penalties of up to life imprisonment can be imposed on those found guilty."

The Australian government believes up to 60 Australians are fighting alongside so-called "Daesh" [ISIL] extremists, while another 100 are actively working to support the movement at home.

Abbott told reporters the threat from "Daesh" was "at least as much a domestic security issue for us as it is an international security issue."

"This is not a conflict which is remote to us. It might be thousands of miles away, but there are people from here going there and there are people from there coming here."

Moreover, the men's appearance coincided with Abbott allocating Aus$20 million [US$18 million] for anti-laundering agency AUSTRAC "to improve detection and disruption of terrorism financing" as part of a Aus$630 million counter-terrorism package.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team