In a stunning development yesterday, police made a sweeping terrorist bust within the GTA and expected to make several more arrests throughout the night.
“The RCMP, CSIS and the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team arrested individuals throughout the GTA today in relation to terrorist-related offences,” confirmed RCMP spokesman Corp. Michele Paradis.
As of about 9 p.m. last night, Paradis also added “there are ongoing arrests.”
Though unconfirmed, sources have told the Sun police arrested a possible home-grown al-Qaeda terrorist cell operating in Toronto that had planned to bomb the subway as early as Monday.
From the news conference currently in progress:
– RCMP, along with CSIS and other security partners have arrested 12 adults and 5 young offenders who were planning a series of terrorist attacks on a variety of targets in southern Ontario.
– They’ve been charged under contributing to activity of a terrorist group, commission of firearms and explosives offenses for the benefit of a terrorist group, providing or making available property for the purpose of terrorist activities.
– 3 tons of ammonium nitrate was ordered and delivered. (the 1995 Oklahoma bombing was comleted with only 1 ton of ammonium nitrate)
– they had the capacity and intent to carry out the attacks
– Canadian residents from a variety of backgrounds, inspired by Al Qaeda
(Listen live to the news conference.)
The Toronto Star is now online with a report. Those arrested:
1. Fahim Ahmad, 21, Toronto;
2. Zakaria Amara, 20, Mississauga, Ont.;
3. Asad Ansari, 21, Mississauga;
4. Shareef Abdelhaleen, 30, Mississauga;
5. Qayyum Abdul Jamal, 43, Mississauga;
6. Mohammed Dirie, 22, Kingston, Ont.;
7. Yasim Abdi Mohamed, 24, Kingston;
8. Jahmaal James, 23, Toronto;
9. Amin Mohamed Durrani, 19, Toronto;
10. Steven Vikash Chand alias Abdul Shakur, 25, Toronto;
11. Ahmad Mustafa Ghany, 21, Mississauga;
12. Saad Khalid, 19, of Eclipse Avenue, Mississauga.
(What was that quote from the news conference about the individuals not reflecting on any one community?)
UPDATE Dirie and Mohamed were arrested in 2005 at a Canadian border crossing. More at the Toronto Star. Scroll down
“The customs inspector noticed that Mohamed seemed to fidgeting with his hands in his pockets, and unable to stand still despite being told to keep his hands where the officers could see them,” states the summary that was read into the court record during a hearing last October.
Both appeared nervous, frequently looking at each other. At one point Mohamed tried to push his back away from the wall where he was placed, the documents state. It was at that point that the customs officer discovered a loaded Highpoint .380 calibre handgun that Mohamed had tucked inside his waistband. Ammunition, some of which did not match the guns the men were bringing in, fell out of his pockets as he was being handcuffed.
Officers later found two loaded handguns taped to Dirie’s inner thighs — a Millennium PT 19mm and a .380 Calibre Jennings. In his socks they found a magazine for a semi-automatic handgun and “several rounds of ammunition,” according to the court transcripts.
This morning the Ottawa Sun is reporting that Parliament was on the hit list
“They were going after institutional targets,” a source said.
Sources said targets included the Parliament Buildings and the CSIS headquarters in Toronto.
Considerable blogosphere coverage on this story;
Stephen Taylor,
Pajamas Media has a big roundup. So does Hot Air here and here;
The Muslim Canadian Congress reaction is predictable.
Report from the courthouse.
“This operation does not reflect badly on any ethno-cultural group in Canada”.
