A Victorian woman has been charged by the Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team after returning to Australia from overseas, over alleged links to the Islamic State group (ISIS) and travel to a declared conflict zone in Syria.

The 34-year-old Broadmeadows woman is expected to appeared before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today, following her arrest by counter-terrorism investigators.

She has been charged with entering or remaining in a declared area under section 119.2 of the Criminal Code (Cth), and being a member of a terrorist organisation under section 102.3(1), offences that each carry a maximum penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

Authorities allege the woman travelled to Syria between 2013 and 2014 with others, including a man, to join ISIS. The man is believed to now be incarcerated in a Middle Eastern prison.

Investigators further allege she was later detained by Kurdish forces in 2019 and held at the al-Hawl Internally Displaced Persons camp alongside other family members.

She returned to Australia from Lebanon in September 2025, along with another woman aged 36.

The Victoria Joint Counter Terrorism Team — comprising the Australian Federal Police, Victoria Police and ASIO — executed search warrants in Broadmeadows and Fitzroy North, seizing a suspected stolen vehicle, electronic devices, documents and photographs for forensic examination.

Investigations remain ongoing into both women.

AFP Deputy Commissioner for National Security Investigations Hilda Sirec said recent operations had resulted in multiple charges against women alleged to have been involved in terrorism-related offences.

She said investigations into returnees from Syrian camps were continuing and that a lack of immediate charges did not mean investigations had ended.

Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Libby Murphy said community safety remained the highest priority, adding that authorities would continue working closely across agencies to assess any risks linked to returnees from conflict zones.

Officials also urged members of the public with relevant information to contact the National Security Hotline.

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