Melbourne men charged with sharing IS-inspired footage

Federal police have charged four Melbourne men after an 18-month investigation into the sharing of Islamic State propaganda.

Police allege Sulamain Sarwari, Adian Sarwari, Mohammad Ahmadzai and Azan Syed shared and received images and videos of previous terrorist attacks and other IS propaganda.

All have been charged with possession of violent extremist material and face up to five years in prison. Over the past two days, they have been granted bail before they are due to face court again on July 30.

The court hearings followed AFP officers raiding four homes in the Melbourne suburbs of Roxburgh Park, Clyde South and Meadow Heights on Thursday, arresting men aged 19, 20, 21 and 29.

On Friday afternoon, one of the men, 29-year-old Sulamain Sarwari, faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, which heard he had sent suspicious material via WhatsApp on April 8 and May 4.

Sarwari was granted bail as magistrate Vincenzo Caltabiano said he satisfied the exceptional circumstances criteria required, and it could be months until he faces trial.

“There may be a risk that you spend more time on remand than you would ultimately receive,” Caltabiano said.

The court earlier heard that Sarwari helped his wife – who lives with epilepsy and is recovering from chemotherapy – with daily activities.

His wife shed tears and Sarwari craned his head back in relief when bail was granted.

He will return to court on July 30 along with co-accused Adian Sarwari, Mohammad Ahmadzai and Azan Syed. Syed was granted bail on Thursday.

Federal police say they were first alerted to the men’s alleged activity in November 2024, when a teenager from Roxburgh Park returned to Melbourne from Turkey and had his luggage searched during a routine examination by the Australian Border Force at Melbourne Airport.

An AFP spokesperson said this examination uncovered “suspicious content” on the teen’s phone.

They said the same thing happened when another teen from Roxburgh Park returned from Turkey on June 1 last year.

The phones owned by both men were seized for further examination, and the investigation into this footage culminated in AFP officers conducting four search warrants in the Melbourne suburbs of Roxburgh Park, Clyde South and Meadow Heights on Thursday.

As a result of these raids, during which an AFP gun was unintentionally fired, the same two Roxburgh Park men intercepted at the airport – now in their 20s – were arrested, along with two Clyde North men, aged 19 and 29. No one was injured when the gun went off.

A fifth man, arrested in Meadow Heights, was released pending further inquiries.

AFP counterterrorism commander Paula Hudson said the arrests and charges showed the AFP was watching closely to prevent hatred from escalating.

“We allege these men were actively engaging in the sharing of this material inspired by ISIS, a terrorist organisation responsible for mass killings, and violent religious persecution,” she said.

“We know that intervening early helps to ensure individuals are disrupted before they reach the most serious levels of offending and prevent any potential for escalation to violence.”

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