An 18-month long counter-terrorism investigation by Australian law enforcement has culminated in charges against five Victorian men accused of holding a cache of violent extremist content, including ISIS propaganda and footage of past terror attacks. The investigation traces its origins back to late November 2024, when a man returning to Australia from Turkey was found to have suspicious material stored on his personal mobile device. A deep dive into that device uncovered a coordinated pattern: the group had been sharing prohibited extremist content among themselves via online channels, including promotional material from the banned terrorist organization ISIS and visual records of violent terror attacks.
In early May, Australian Federal Police (AFP) launched coordinated raids on four residential properties across Melbourne, where four of the accused — 21-year-old Mohammad Ahmadzai, 20-year-old Azan Syed, 29-year-old Sulaiman Sarwari and 19-year-old Adian Sarwari — were taken into custody and charged with possession of violent extremist material. A fifth suspect, a 25-year-old man, was taken into custody weeks later on May 16, when he arrived at Melbourne International Airport on a flight returning from Malaysia, and faces the same criminal charge.
During a hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court on Thursday, Sulaiman Sarwari appeared alongside his legal team, with his barrister Siobhan Stary requesting modifications to two existing bail conditions, including the mandatory requirement for in-person court attendance to review bail compliance. With no opposition raised by the prosecution, Magistrate Donna Bakos granted the request, relaxing the bail conditions for the accused. The image of the post-hearing proceeding was captured by NewsWire photographer Ian Currie.
AFP Counter Terrorism Commander Paula Hudson publicly announced the laid charges on May 8, emphasizing the critical role of early intervention in counter-terrorism policing. “Early intervention allows us to disrupt individuals before they progress to more severe forms of offending,” Hudson explained. “We allege these men were actively sharing material inspired by ISIS, a terrorist organisation responsible for mass atrocities and violent religious persecution around the world.” All five accused are scheduled to reappear in court between late July and early August, with the legal process set to move forward in the coming months.