Mounties lay terror charges against suspect from Greater Toronto Area

An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

The RCMP say they have laid terrorism charges against a suspect from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) after a "lengthy" investigation.

The suspect, mounties say, was allegedly participating in the activities of a listed terrorist group and was counselling another person to commit a terrorism offence.

"The RCMP is continuing to investigate and assess possible impacts of this alleged activity. At this time, there are no known associated risks to the public," the RCMP said in a news release.

The arrest came after an investigation which included the Toronto Police Service, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the Ministry of the Attorney General, Provincial Anti-Terrorist Section and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Police did not say which group the suspect was allegedly supporting or what actions may have led to the charges.  

The suspect was a minor at the time of the alleged offences and cannot be named under the terms of the Youth Criminal Justice Act. They are scheduled to make a remote court appearance via video link on Aug. 27.

In its release, the RCMP said it "continues to be concerned with the growing trend of violent extremism."

The latest charges come just weeks after a Toronto father and son were charged in an alleged plot to carry out a "serious violent attack" in Toronto for ISIS.

Police did not link the two cases in their release.

"Radicalization to violence is a phenomenon that is not driven by any particular background, culture or religion," police said.

They noted that the Canada Centre for Community Engagement and Prevention of Violence is leading the federal government's efforts to counter radicalization to violence by supporting programs "to prevent and intervene with individuals and groups at-risk of radicalization."

The force advised anyone concerned that someone may be planning or considering acts of violence to reach out to their local police service.