Neil Prakash, 31, has been arrested and extradited to Australia from Turkey to face terrorism charges. Prakash is an Australian-born man who had been serving time in a Turkish prison for terrorism offences. He is scheduled to appear in court in Darwin on Friday, where an application will be made for his extradition to Victoria.
The AFP has confirmed that there is no threat to the Australian community related to this arrest. Prakash is believed to be the most senior Australian member of ISIS and has been linked to several terror plots in Australia. He appeared in ISIS propaganda videos and called on followers to carry out attacks in his home country. In 2016, he was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail in Turkey after being found guilty of membership in a terrorist organisation.
Prakash’s arrest comes as the federal government prepares to reintroduce temporary exclusion orders, which would allow authorities to cancel the passports of Australians suspected of travelling overseas to engage in terrorist activity. The bill is expected to be debated in parliament next week.
That’s the beauty of the AFP’s international network, that we can actually use our partnerships and use our footprint around the world to track these people down and bring them back here to bring them to justice. We do have significant players that are offshore that do cause us harm around the world.
Said the AFP Assistant Commissioner.
Prakash’s arrest is a significant win for Australian authorities in the fight against terrorism. He is believed to be the most senior Australian member of ISIS and has been linked to several terror plots in Australia. I’m sure many people will sleep better at night knowing that he is now off the streets and behind bars where he belongs.
Be First to Comment