Twelve men and five youths arrested overnight face charges for plotting al-Qaeda-inspired ”terrorist attacks” on several locations in Ontario, Canada’s economic hub, officials said on Saturday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and other government security agencies ”after a lengthy investigation” arrested individuals on Friday ”who were planning to commit a series of terrorist attacks against solely Canadian targets in southern Ontario”, RCMP Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonnell said at a press conference in Toronto.
The group is alleged to have acquired three tonnes of ammonium nitrate, a common fertiliser ingredient, and ”components necessary to create explosive devices”, he said.
”It was their intent to use it for a terrorist attack,” McDonnell said, but police prevented them from assembling any bombs.
Luc Portelance, assistant director of operations for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), Canada’s spy agency, identified the accused as ”Canadian residents of different origins” who seemed to have ”chosen a violent ideology inspired by al-Qaeda”.
However, the group has no formal links to al-Qaeda, he added. Another official said they are mostly Canadians from a ”broad street of our society” including students, some employed, some not.
”Anyone that has the ability to turn people against their fellow citizens is obviously something CSIS is very concerned about,” Portelance said. The arrests demonstrate that Canada is ”not immune from this ideology”, he said.
The 17 accused have been charged with participating in a terrorist group’s activities, training and recruitment for the group, several firearms and explosives offences, and contributing money or property for terrorist purposes.
Their targets were both in and around greater Toronto, officials indicated.
More than 400 officers were involved in the investigation and more arrests are expected in the case, officials said.
The Toronto Star newspaper reported on its website that police swooped down on 12 locations in the Toronto area on Friday night to arrest members of a ”homegrown terrorist cell”.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said the CSIS had monitored the group since 2004 and the RCMP launched an investigation last year.
The accused were being held at a police station in Pickering, a suburb of Toronto, surrounded by heavily armed police, and were expected to appear in court later on Saturday, officials said.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper was informed about the operation, his spokesperson said, but declined to comment on it immediately.
”The prime minister was briefed about the operation, but we do not want to comment because we do not want to derail the police operation,” spokesperson Stephane Rondeau said.
Police noted their investigation is ”ongoing”. — AFP
