Ben Roberts-Smith, aged 47, has been charged with five counts of murder related to alleged war crimes during his service in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2012. The charges were filed following a joint investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Office of the Special Investigator (OSI). Roberts-Smith, who is Australia's most highly decorated living soldier and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, was arrested on Tuesday at Sydney Domestic Airport. He was denied bail during a brief court appearance and is scheduled to appear again in the NSW Bail Division Court. The allegations suggest that he intentionally caused the deaths of two individuals and was involved in three other murder incidents, where the victims were reportedly unarmed and under Australian Defence Force (ADF) control when killed. The investigation by the OSI, which includes 54 investigators, is ongoing, with many cases involving complex incidents from over a decade ago. Roberts-Smith is the second Australian soldier to face charges under domestic law, following the case of Oliver Schulz, another ex-SAS soldier charged in 2023.