Australia’s Channel Nine has aired a video of the incident, which shows an organised operation to retrieve two kids from Lebanon and return them to their mother.
Brisbane based Sally Faulkner employed a controversial child recovery agency in a bid to get her two kids: Lahela, 5, and Noah, 2, back.
The children have been living in Lebanon since last year after going over for a holiday with their father, Ali Elamine.
Ali, who runs a surf shop in Beirut, is alleged to have not returned the children as agreed with his ex, Sally.
Taking matters into her own hands, Sally employed European recovery specialists to get her kids back – which they successfully did as the children were out walking with their paternal grandmother.
A 60 Minutes crew were following the mission to retrieve Sally’s kids, and had their vehicle intercepted by Lebanese authorities. They are thought to now be at a local police station.
Meanwhile the mother has been arrested, and a border alert has been put out on them – making their escape unlikely.
Last year, Sally made a heartfelt plea on A Current Affair for her ex to return their children, after he asked if he could take them to visit his family in Lebanon.
She recounted the heart-breaking moment she was informed her children wouldn’t be coming back.
“Sally, the kids aren’t coming home. Ever. They’re not coming back to Australia,” he allegedly told her.
“I remember just my heart, it felt like my heart stopped. I felt like I wanted to be sick.”
Sally has allegedly been allowed to Skype with her children occasionally, during which conversations she’s recorded them saying they miss her and want to come back to Australia.
Pleading to her husband in June last year, Sally said on camera: “You know they want to come home. You know I’m a good mum. You know I’ve never denied you of anything, especially to see your children. Don’t do this to me and don’t do this to our children.”
“Things went bad in our marriage, but that’s no reason or excuse to keep them from their mother.”
The children with their father (via Facebook)
