An ideologically motivated violent plot that had been in the making for at least four years was shut down by a series of arrests this week.
What happened: The RCMP charged four men, including two active members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), with being part of a terrorist plot that allegedly involved creating an anti-government militia with a plan to take control of land in the Québec City area.
Why it matters: Some charges stem from last year, when the RCMP found 16 explosives, 83 firearms and accessories, roughly 11,000 rounds of ammunition, and more. One analyst told CBC News it’s the largest store of weapons and components in any terrorism incident in Canadian history.
- A 2022 report on racism and discrimination in the CAF found the number of members belonging to extremist groups had been growing and becoming harder to detect.
- Meanwhile, technological advances are making it more difficult to detect members, to which one of the recommended solutions was to increase access to reporting tools.
Big picture: The RCMP has been stepping up its counterterrorism measures in recent years. It has been investigating the group since 2023 and determined that these activities started in 2021, though some experts are questioning why it took so long to make arrests.—SB