Australia police arrested a 16-year-old schoolgirl and a 20-year-old man in Sydney Tuesday for financing the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS.
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Police said the 20-year-old man was taken to Parramatta Police Station, while the female was taken to Granville Police Station.
Mr Pickin told the court the girl had briefly spoken with a psychologist, who reported she appeared to suffer from depressive and anxiety disorders, and was at an enhanced risk of suicide.
She is said to have admitted in another conversation with the police source – who apparently ingratiated himself with the teenager’s circle of associates by pretending to have a sister who wanted to travel to the Middle East – that “they had previously sent $10,000 a month ago”.
“We will be alleging that they were involved in obtaining money to send offshore to assist Daesh in its activities”, Burn said in Sydney.
The pair knew each other but weren’t related or in a relationship, Burn said.
Australian authorities have been on high alert for homegrown terrorism since September 2014 when police shot and killed a teenager in Melbourne who attacked two counterterrorism officers with a knife.
A lot of information that has led to charges being laid against 14 people under Operation Appleby has come from concerned family and friends.
“It’s disturbing that we’re continuing to see a trend of teenage children involved in activities that they should really not be involved in at all”, she said.
“We will chase every rabbit down every hole to do what we can to try to disrupt this activity”. “Whether or not they know what they are doing is the issue that we have to continue to investigate and try to unravel, whether they know that what the fund that they are raising is going to be used for”.
Meanwhile, Michael Phelan, the Federal Police Deputy Commissioner, said the arrests did not relate to the planning of a terrorist attack in Australia, and there was no imminent threat to the community.
“It’s a very serious charge”. Their charge – financing terrorism – potentially carries a maximum of 25 years in prison, according to Burn. “And today’s arrest hasn’t altered that position”.
Milad Atai, left, was arrested by counter-terrorism police in Sydney.
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The accused, arrested as part of the ongoing Operation Appleby, are now in the hands of authorities and say their fate is up to the courts.
