On March 12, a 17-year-old boy was removed from a plane at the Sydney airport and interrogated by counter-terrorism officers, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said on Wednesday, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mail.
Two brothers also tried to leave the country to join ISIS earlier this month. All three have been returned to his family and Australian Federal Police and ASIO are investigating. Charges have not been brought against the third boy yet.
But these cases are only three out of the 200 people officials have stopped from leaving to fight with terrorist groups, according to Daily Mail. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has expressed his disbelief that people who have grown up in an open society would be receptive to messages from extremist groups, like Islamic State.
"It is very dangerous for you. It is very dangerous for others," Abbott told reporters in Canberra, according to Daily Mail. "We will do everything we can to stop you if you do try."
As HNGN previously reported, Abbott has determined that stricter immigration laws are necessary after recent tragic events, like December's cafe shooting and hostage situation.
A new Foreign Fighters Act allows customs officers to detain people if the officer suspects the person intends to commit a Commonwealth offense, pose a threat to national security or create a threatening situation for a foreign country.
The teenage "Ginger Jihadist" Abdullah Elmir is one of the high-profile cases of Australian teens leaving to fight with Islamic state militants. Other Sydney jihadists like Mohamed Elomar and Khaled Sharrouf have appeared in Islamic State videos, including one that featured a beheading.
