Three Australian women linked to the extremist group Islamic State were arrested on Thursday after arriving home with their children following years in a camp in Syria, and were expected to be charged with slavery and terrorism offenses, police said.<\/p>\n
The Australian government said on Wednesday<\/a> that four women and nine children who had been detained in northeast Syria planned to return to Australia, but would receive no government assistance.<\/p>\n A 54-year-old woman arriving at Melbourne airport on Thursday evening was arrested and was expected to be charged with four counts of crimes against humanity relating to slavery<\/a>, the Australian Federal Police said on Thursday.<\/p>\n A 31-year-old woman on the same flight was also arrested and would be charged with two slavery offenses, AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt told a press conference in Canberra.<\/p>\n Each charge carries a maximum of 25 years in prison.<\/p>\n At Sydney airport, a 32-year-old woman was arrested and was expected to be charged with two offenses, including being a member of a terrorist organization, both of which carry a maximum jail term of 10 years.<\/p>\n “The safety of the community is the number one priority for all agencies involved,” Nutt said, adding preparations for the women’s return began as early as 2015.<\/p>\n He declined to comment on the status of the fourth woman or the children.<\/p>\n The AFP earlier said the children were expected to enter community reintegration and support programs.<\/p>\n