Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said two teenage brothers arrested while trying to leave Australia to fight with ISIS were ‘saved’

AUTHORITIES fear two teenage brothers arrested for trying to travel overseas to fight with ISIS may try to leave the country again and are monitoring their movements.

AUTHORITIES fear two teenage brothers arrested for trying to travel overseas to fight with ISIS may try to leave the country again and are monitoring their movements.

But the passports of the two boys, aged 16 and 17, are yet to be confiscated.

Pressed on if there were fears the pair would try again to leave the country and join the “death cult” in the Middle East, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the government was monitoring the boys’ movements.

Teens caught ... at Sydney Airport this week. Picture: Border Protection and Customs

Being investigated ... the two boys were caught by customs officers. Picture: Border Protection and Customs

“Immigration and Border Protection officers, working with partner agencies, are alert to the potential travel of persons of interest,” the spokesman told News Corp Australia.

But it is understood the two boys still remain in possession of their passports.

The move comes despite Foreign Minister Julie Bishop last week declaring that passports of those who attempted to travel to prescribed areas in the conflict zone could be confiscated.

The two brothers, from south-west Sydney, were arrested at Sydney Airport on Friday after Customs officials raised suspicions with objects in their luggage.

Terror group grows ... Iraqi security forces hold a flag of the Islamic State group they captured during an operation outside Amirli, north of Baghdad, Iraq. Picture: AP

Earlier, Tony Abbott urged young Australians being lured by the terror group ISIS to “block your ears” following revelations two Sydney teenagers were arrested trying to fly to the Middle East to fight with the terror group.

The Prime Minister said the arrests showed the Coalition’s tough border protection laws were working.

“These were two misguided young Australians ... who had succumb to the lure of the death cult,” Mr Abbott said.

“I’m pleased that they have been stopped and my message to anyone who is listening to the death cult is block your ears.

“Block your ears. Don’t even begin to think that you can leave. We will stop you at the border on the way out and if you get out we will stop you at the border on the way back.”

The AFP today would not confirm if the passports of the two boys had been confiscated, but just confirmed that the matter was an “ongoing investigation”.

MORE: Teen jihadi wannabes caught at Sydney Airport

The brothers were arrested at Sydney Airport on Friday before being “unarrested”.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton confirmed the two young men from southwest Sydney were stopped by border protection officials at Sydney airport on Friday after suspicions were raised when their luggage was searched.

The 16 and 17-year olds were arrested and charged before being sent home with their parents, as first revealed by The Sunday Telegraph.

They were attempting to travel to a conflict zone in the Middle East.

Mr Dutton today said ISIS was a “cancer” that was infecting the minds of the vulnerable online.

The Immigration Minister praised the customs officials involved in their arrest saying they not only saved the two boy’s lives but also potentially the lives of many other Australians.

“They saved the lives of these two Australians but they also potentially saved the lives of many Australians when people like this return radicalised and want to cause harm,” Mr Dutton said.

“ISIL is a cancer — not just in the Middle East but across the board.”

Mr Dutton would not go into any more detail about what was found in their luggage or who paid for their air tickets without their parents’ knowledge.

Saving lives ... Peter Dutton, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, holding a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

An AFP spokeswoman said the matter was an “ongoing investigation”. The two boys had not been charged however, she said.

It is understood part of the AFP investigation will centre on who paid for the two boys’ tickets.

Mr Dutton said the “evil, wicked” ISIS message was being spread online which gave even more reason for the government’s metadata laws to be passed. Mr Dutton called on Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to support the moves.

The Immigration Minister’s comments where echoed by Treasurer Joe Hockey who this morning said Australia was dealing with a “new terrorist threat”.

Taking over ... fighters of the Islamic State wave the group's flag from a damaged display of a government fighter jet following the battle for the Tabqa air base, in Raqqa, Syria. Picture: AP Photo/Raqqa Media Center of the Islamic State group

“The terrorist threat is being supported by the poison that comes through the internet and through the words of others,” Mr Hockey told Sky News’s Australian Agenda.

“It is hammering the brains of young Australians and we’ve got to stop the poison of terrorism infecting the brains of everyday Australians and particularly young Australians.”

Mr Hockey said the growing threat from ISIS was one reason the government wanted to make changes to the current metadata laws.

“If we can stop the poison we can stop young Australians doing stupid things like trying to go over an fight in the armaggedon of war in the Middle East,” he said.

Life lost ... Ashley Johnston, killed while fighting against ISIS. Picture: Facebook

Last month the first Australian fighting ISIS overseas was killed.

Ashley Johnston, 28, died fighting with Kurdish militia.

News Corp Australia reported exclusively that Johnston was fearful to return home because he worried he would be treated with the same level of contempt as jihadist fighters who sided with the “death cult”.

Attorney-General George Brandis said anyone who went to fight in the conflict zone faced jail time.

An AFP spokeswoman told News Corp Australia that the Joint Counter Terrorism Team in Sydney received a referral from Australian Customs and Border Protection Service in relation to the two boys on Friday.

“Two juveniles were arrested under suspicion of attempting to prepare for incursions into foreign countries for the purpose of engaging in hostile activities pursuant to Section 119.4 Criminal Code 1995,” the spokeswoman said.

“They were subsequently unarrested and released into their parents’ custody on Friday evening.

“Investigations in relation to this matter are ongoing, it is not appropriate for the AFP to comment further.”

Originally published as Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said two teenage brothers arrested while trying to leave Australia to fight with ISIS were ‘saved’