Photo found of Syrian with fake passport wearing 'ISIS uniform' – reports

The Italian authorities are intensifying their investigation into the arrest of two Syrians who attempted to reach Malta from Italy using fake passports.

It has now emerged that a photo of 30-year-old Alali Faowaz wearing an ISIS uniform was found on his mobile.

Along with Hazem Alhamed, 19, Faowaz denied any links to terror groups, indeed claiming to have fled from Islamic State.

They were arrested with fake passports at Bergamo airport last week, and pictures of armed man on their mobile phones led to fears that they had links with IS.

However, Faowaz told an Italian court that the man on his phone was his cousin who had been killed in battle, Corriere della Sera reported.

He told the court that he had moved from Greece to Raqqa before IS sprung to power and declared the Syrian city the capital of their self-proclaimed state.

“After that, people had to either work for IS or not work at all, and I was assigned to work as a policeman,” he said.

However, he was accused of corruption after “turning a blind eye in return for cash”, and sentenced to a fine and 100 lashes.

Fearing for his life, Faowaz fled Syria, leaving his pregnant wife and son behind.

The discovery of the photo of Faowaz wearing the ISIS uniform is one of the fundamental elements for new charges, according to TGcom24.com.

The investigators insist that Faowaz was a member of ISIS, but he told the court that he was forced to sign up with ISIS to be able to work.