Australia court convicts man over Syria travel plans Published duration 13 October 2015 Related Topics Syrian civil war

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A court in Australia has found a 25-year-old Melbourne resident guilty of trying to travel to Syria to fight with anti-government forces.

Amin Mohamed, a New Zealand citizen, was convicted of three counts of making preparations to travel to a foreign country to engage in hostile acts.

It is a crime in Australia to fight for militants on either side of the conflict in the Middle East.

Mohamed could face up to 10 years in prison for each charge.

His Australian visa has been cancelled and he will remain in immigration detention until he is sentenced.

Intercepted calls

The Victorian Supreme Court heard Mohamed wanted to fight against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Prosecutors said he applied for a New Zealand passport to enter Syria, booked flights to Turkey and obtained the contact details of a Turkish resident with the intent of fighting in Syria, according to the ABC.

Recordings of telephone intercepts in which Mohamed used coded language to discuss his plans with an alleged recruiter were also played, local media said.

Previously the court heard a recorded conversation between Mohamed and an official at New Zealand's Security Intelligence Service.

Mohamed told the official he only wanted to travel to Turkey to see the Blue Mosque, before travelling to Denmark to meet his fiancee, according to media reports.

According to the Australian government, at least 100 Australians are fighting with terror groups in the Middle East, and another 150 people in Australia are known to be supporting such groups.