Three Women Arrested at Melbourne Airport on May 7 Accused of ISIS Links, Terror and Slavery Charges

According to AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt, three women accused of ISIS links were arrested on Thursday (May 7, 2026) as they arrived at Melbourne Airport, ending a near decade-long police operation. The women—Zeinab Ahmed (31), Janai Safar (32), and Kawsar Abbas (53)—face charges related to terrorism, enslavement, and slave trading dating to 2015.

They were remanded in custody after appearing in court with bail denied. Safar faces ISIS membership charges, while Ahmed and Abbas are charged with international slavery offences involving the alleged purchase of a Yazidi woman. Maximum sentences range from 10 years for terrorism-related offences to 25 years for slavery-related offences. The trio had been held at Al Roj camp in northeastern Syria before their return to Australia.