Isa Kocoglu, 43, faced court Tuesday over allegedly funding an ISIS terrorist

He was arrested during a Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team dawn raid

AFP allege he deposited $3000 into an ISIS fighter's PayPal account

He allegedly made five to 10 deposits between November 2013 and August 2014

A Melbourne man accused of supporting ISIS in Syria by sending money that was collected online and deposited at a Sydney bank has faced court.

Hampton Park resident Isa Kocoglu, 43, appeared in Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Tuesday charged with supporting persons engaged in the Syrian conflict.

It's alleged Kocoglu was an administrator of a website used by people who support ISIS ideology when he helped raise funds for a known ISIS jihadist.

"Kocoglu provided funding and support to a member of ISIS, as in a member who pledged allegiance to ISIS and was in fact conducting hostile activities in the state of Syria," Australian Federal Police agent Rhys Hart told the court.

It's understood the ISIS member is American John Georgelas.

Kocoglu allegedly provided him with financial support between Nov. 2013 and Aug. 2014.

Hart alleges Kocoglu helped deposit more than $3000 into the ISIS fighter's PayPal account by making multiple cash deposits at the Commonwealth Bank branch at Kogarah, in Sydney's south.

"These funds were then remitted to another associate of the ISIS member believed to have died in a suicide attack in Syria," Hart said.

The AFP said the money was used by ISIS to fund their communications.

Some of the money was also used to help an injured ISIS member receive treatment in Turkey for shrapnel wounds to his back.

The ISIS fighter was smuggled in and out of Turkey before local authorities realized who he was, the AFP agent said.

Kocoglu, who has a wife and children, was arrested in a dawn raid on Tuesday morning after a 16 month Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team investigation.

Federal prosecutor Aman Dhillon told Magistrate Luisa Bazzani authorities do not oppose bail.

Bazzani said she wanted to hear evidence from police before making a decision to release Kocoglu.

During a press conference Tuesday morning, AFP's Commander John Beveridge said Kocoglu allegedly donated up to $5000 between April 2013 and Nov. 2014.

Beveridge revealed the suspect receives a disability pension, which could possibly have been used to fund his donations.

Online banking records revealed he had transferred money in five to 10 separate installations intended for John Georgelas and another associate of the ISIS.

The 33-year-old U.S. citizen who received money from Australian born Kocoglu is believed to be currently fighting alongside the terror group in Syria.

Officers believe the man's family wasn't involved in his online activities, and they're not currently searching for anybody else in relation to the specific case.

This article has been adapted from its original source.





