Channel Nine has confirmed the 60 minutes crew as well as presenter Tara Brown have been charged with kidnapping for their involvement in the child recovery operation in Lebanon.
The crew will individually face four charges for their involvement.
It is expected they will appear before a judge in the next 24 hours before being formally questioned later in the week.
Brown and the Channel Nine crew are likely to remain in jail for up to a week alongside Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner and two workers from organisation Child Abduction Recovery International, SMH reports.
Faulkner allegedly travelled to Beirut in order to take her two children, Lahela. 6, and Noah, 4, back from their father Ali Elamine.
Faulkner claims the children had been taken to Lebanon on a holiday but were meant to return home.
The 60 Minutes crew were in Beirut to follow the story of Faulkner and her attempt to reunite with her children.
The crew were arrested after an alleged abduction attempt that saw the children snatched from their grandmother on the side of the road.
Channel Nine continue to work with legal authorities in Beirut in attempts to recover the team.
“We are co-operating fully with the Lebanese authorities and it is important to stress that we respect the laws of Lebanon and its judiciary,” said a Channel Nine spokesperson.
“We want to see our crew and Ms Faulkner return home safely as soon as possible and we are working with a respected Lebanese legal team in Beirut to secure this outcome.”
It is being claimed by Lebanese media this CCTV footage captures the moment the children were taken from their grandmother. Post continues after video...
It has been reported that Channel 9 paid $115, 000 for the operation.
Beirut newspaper The Daily Star, reported that seven suspects had been interrogated in relation to the incident, news.com.au reports.
Lebanese media have also reported the father claimed Faulkner was comfortable with him taking the children and only began to protest when he stopped making maintenance payments.
The children have been returned to Elamine.
Top Comments
This is a tragic situation. If someone took my children to another country I would be just as desperate to get them back.
45 minutes and channel nine should also have to pay any costs the Australian Government may have incurred. I have some sympathies for the mother. Would I have done what she did? Of course, but I would not have thrown my lot in with a TV station to do it, no way. It has been reduced to a tawdry melodrama and unfortunately Channel nine will be rubbing their hands together because when released and back home, Tara Brown and colleagues report will rate it's socks off and that is sad