Toronto/CMEDIA: A Toronto man reportedly is facing a number of terrorism-related charges linked to ISIS, dozens of other criminal charges related to violent offences targeting women and members of the Jewish community in the GTA, police say.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s (RCMP) confirmed the arrest of the suspect in a news release issued on Friday morning, noting that the offences occurred between June 17 and Aug. 17 of this year.
The suspect is facing seven terrorism-related offences, The RCMP said, including allegations that he conspired to commit murder “for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a terrorist group.”
The suspect has been identified as 26-year-old Toronto resident Waleed Khan.
The suspect also allegedly made himself available “to facilitate or commit a terrorism offence or an act or omission outside Canada” and provided property, specifically social media accounts, while knowing “it would be used by or would benefit a terrorist group, namely ISIS.”
Offences included kidnapping, attempted kidnapping with firearms, conspiracy to commit sexual assault and hostage taking, police said.
Moments after Khan’s arrest on Friday morning was confirmed by RCMP, the Toronto police service and Peel Regional Police published their own news releases detailing the results of a joint separate investigation which it said predated the RCMP’s investigation.
Initially taken into custody on Aug. 18, Khan is among three suspects facing a combined 79 charges in that investigation.
The joint investigation also revealed other accused parties as Osman Azizov, 18 and Fahad Sadaat, 19 although these individuals are not facing terrorism-related charges.
Following two violent incidents in the GTA last spring, the local police investigation, dubbed ‘Project Neapolitan’ was launched and police say that three armed men exited a vehicle and chased two women but fled after being interrupted by a passerby.
Police say that officers eventually connected the two incidents and arrested the suspects.
Police also seized a cache of contraband, including firearms, ammunition, high-capacity magazine, upon executing a search warrant at the Toronto residences of the suspect.
Following the arrests, police say that investigators “uncovered links to terrorism” which led to the “separate but parallel” investigation conducted by the RCMP.
“What began as armed, coordinated attempts to kidnap women led to significant arrests and charges, stopping a dangerous escalation of hate-motivated crimes and terrorism across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in the news release. “Thank you to our investigators and partners at the Toronto Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their collaboration and tireless efforts to keep our communities safe.”
“This investigation demonstrates the impact of strong collaboration in protecting our communities,” Toronto Police Chief Chief Myron Demkiw added. “The gravity of these alleged offences demanded a strong, united response – and that is exactly what this partnership delivered. I want to thank our members and all of our partners for their tireless efforts and their shared commitment to public safety.”
According to the Toronto police the investigation was assisted by Ontario Provincial Police, York Regional Police, Durham Regional Police Service, and FINTRAC.
In a statement on Friday morning, Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs CEO Noah Shack said that the details of the investigations “indicate a grave threat.”
“It is alarming that multiple Islamic State-related terrorist plots have been uncovered over the past two years in Canada. This goes far beyond the safety of any one group. It is a matter of national security and public safety,” Shack said. “There is a ticking time bomb in our country that our leaders must confront before it’s too late.”
