2 Ontario men charged after allegedly producing recruitment videos for listed terrorist entity
Two men from Ontario have been arrested on charges of terrorism after allegedly producing recruitment videos for a listed terrorist organization and circulating far-right manifestos online, police say.
The arrests come after an 18-month investigation conducted by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team which saw warrants executed in the Niagara and Toronto region.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Police said in a news release on Friday that the warrants uncovered substantial evidence, including far-right manifestos circulated on Telegram as well as video made in an effort to recruit individuals to an organization called Atomwaffen Division (AWD).
That organization, police say, is an “international neo-Nazi terror group” which has called “for acts of violence against racial, religious, and ethnic groups, police, and bureaucrats, to prompt the collapse of society.”
Two individuals have been arrested on terror-related charges as a result of the probe. Police have not yet publicly identified the accused.
One of those individuals is facing eight charges, including three counts of commission of hate crimes offences for a terrorist group and two counts of participation in the activities of a terrorist group.
The other individual was charged with one count of participating in the activities of a terrorist group.
MEMBERS SEEN IN GTA PARKS: RCMP
In 2021, AWD, an international neo-Nazi terror group, originating out of the United States, was designated as a terrorist entity by the Canadian government.
The RCMP said in their release that, following that designation, many members of AWD joined an organization called the Canadian branch of Active Club Network.
According to police, Active Club Network serves as “a decentralized cell of white supremacy and neo-Nazi groups."
"The network was created in January 2021 and it promotes mixed martial arts to fight against what it asserts is a system that is targeting the white race, as well as a "warrior spirit" to prepare for a forthcoming race war," the release states.
As part of its investigation, the RCMP said members of the network, alongside members of a related local group called the Hammerskins, have been observed performing combat training exercises in Durham region community parks.
On Friday, they released images of one such gathering.
An Active Club Network event in Durham region can be seen above in a handout provided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. (RCMP)
Earlier this year, the RCMP charged another Ontario man with terror offences for the alleged creation of AWD materials. At the time, police said he was the first Canadian to be charged with terrorism related to far-right propaganda.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'There is no electricity': Canadian travellers in Cuba urge caution in hurricane's wake
Cuba's power grid was knocked out by Hurricane Rafael, which ripped across the country as a Category 3 storm. In western Cuba, it toppled buildings and pushed 50,000 people to find shelter elsewhere. Cubans were already enduring rolling blackouts due to energy shortages.
Sparks fly as MPs question minister on pension implications of proposed election date change
Sparks flew at a parliamentary committee Thursday as MPs questioned Canada's democratic institutions minister about a widely opposed provision in electoral reform legislation that seeks to delay the next fixed election date by one week.
Three charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death
Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.
RCMP already 'on high alert' for potential wave of migrants after Trump election
Canada's federal police force has been preparing for months on a contingency plan for a potential massive influx of migrants across the border following Trump's promise of 'mass deportations' of millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
America votes: How celebrities are reacting to Trump's decisive victory
Celebrities from Hulk Hogan to Ariana Grande are sharing their reactions to the U.S. election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House.
Biden delivers remarks following Trump's win
U.S. President Joe Biden delivered remarks to the nation Thursday in what was his first appearance on camera following Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Kamala Harris.
Canadian arrested in Florida for allegedly possessing child sex abuse content
A 25-year-old Canadian man was arrested in Florida last weekend after police say he was caught with child sex abuse content.
3 Winnipeg police officers charged with breach of trust, theft
Three members of the Winnipeg Police Service have been charged with breach of trust, obstruction of justice and theft following a lengthy investigation
Reporter accused of being Russian spy tells MPs they fell for disinformation
David Pugliese told the House of Commons security committee today he found it astonishing that none of the MPs on the committee challenged the allegations that he was a spy.