Foreign fighter trial: Kiwi told to use apps to avoid detection, court hears
A Kiwi who allegedly tried to join the conflict in Syria was advised to use online messaging apps to avoid detection by authorities, a court has been told.
Melbourne resident Amin Mohamed, 25, has pleaded not guilty to three charges of attempting to enter a foreign state to engage in hostile activities in September 2013.
He is accused of obtaining a New Zealand passport, booking a flight to Istanbul and accepting the contact details of a man named Omar, all with the intention of travelling to Syria.
Somali-born Mohamed came to New Zealand as a refugee in the 1990s, attended Lynfield College and graduated with a business degree at AUT.
In a recorded telephone conversation played at his Victorian Supreme Court trial today, Mohamed and a second man discussed moving all their communication to the Viber app so they could avoid calling each other’s mobile numbers.
Yesterday, the court heard he had coded phone conversations about Syria before quitting his job and booking a one-way ticket to Turkey.
