Australian Police Arrests Five Men Leaving Country On Boat To Join ISIS

Australian police has revealed to have detaind five men on a terror watch list who were trying to leave Australia by a 23-foot boat for Syria to join the ISIS group and fight for them.

The men traveled from their homes in the southern city of MMelbourne to Cairns by car for about 1,700 miles to tow the half-cabin power boat.

Their passports have been canceled earlier of all the men to prevent leaving Australia.

Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan said then men were held on suspicion of breaking a federal law banning foreign incursions.

In Australia the punishment is life imprisonment for either entering or preparing to get into a foreign country for the purpose of getting engaged in a hostile activity.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said the men had plan of getting Philippines through Indonesia, but it is not known how they could go to Syria thereafter.

Patton added, “This is a serious attempt by five men who are of security interest to us who have had their passports canceled in attempting to exit Australia … and then ultimately we’re investigating the intention to possibly end up in Syria to fight.”

For weeks the men were under investigation and it is not to be disclosed when they had left Melbourne or from where they wanted to leave the country.

Declining to identify the men, the police said all of them have extremist views.