Four men in Quebec, including two active members of the Canadian Armed Forces, were arrested and charged in what Canadian police say is a case of “ideologically motivated violent extremism.”
Three of the men, all in their mid-twenties, “were planning to create an anti-government militia” with the intent to “forcibly take possession of land in the Québec City area,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement on Tuesday.
“To achieve this, [the three men] took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises,” the statement continues. “They also conducted a scouting operation. A variety of firearms, some prohibited, as well as high-capacity magazines and tactical equipment were allegedly used in these activities.”
The three were charged with facilitating terrorist activity. A fourth individual, a man in his early thirties, faces numerous firearms and explosives-related charges, police said.
The four appeared in court in Quebec City on Tuesday, the statement added. CNN is attempting to contact their legal representation.
In a January 2024 search near Quebec City, police say they found “16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, approximately 11,000 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, nearly 130 magazines, four pairs of night vision goggles and military equipment.”
Corporal Erique Gasse, a spokesman for the RCMP, told CNN Tuesday that the investigation began in March 2023. He said that the men involved were “promoting guns” and attempting to recruit people for their militia through a private Instagram account.
They used the account to advertise military-style training in Quebec and Ontario, Gasse added.
Gasse did not elaborate on what specific ideology allegedly motivated the men, or the location of the land near Quebec City police claim they plotted to seize.
“It’s a good thing we caught them when we did,” Gasse said.
The RCMP did not identify which of the men are members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The Canadian Department of National Defence told CNN they are aware of charges against “two active members of the Canadian Armed Forces.”
“The Canadian Armed Forces is taking these allegations very seriously and has fully participated in the investigation,” a department spokesperson said in an email.
Extremism within Canada’s armed forces is a longstanding issue, with a 2022 government report noting that the country’s military is “not immune to infiltration” by members of extremist groups.
“The suspected presence of members of extremist groups within [the Department of National Defence/Canadian Armed Forces] is a pressing moral, social and operational issue,” the report concluded.
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