Thanks to careful undercover policework by Toronto Police Services and the RCMP, twelve men and five youths were arrested on terrorism charges, accused of attempting to plant a bomb on Canadian soil. Three tonnes of ammonium nitrate were recovered during the raid, and the Star has learned that this fertilizer — highly effective for making bombs — was supplied by the RCMP as part of the sting operation. A crude cell-phone detonator was also recovered in ther aid.
Most of the suspects have already appeared in court under tight security and the court proceedings against these individuals should continue over the coming weeks. As the prosecution’s case is unveiled, we should get a better idea of who these individuals are, how they got involved in this operation, and what their targets are. Right now, any reports of specific targets are speculation.
However, the RCMP specifically said that the Toronto Transit Commission was not a target, contrary to reports by the Toronto Sun. Still, the news that this terrorist plot, even though it was apprehended, is bound to have commuters unnerved.
All told, it has been quite a week for the TTC, starting with the wildcat strike on Monday, to accidents shutting down portions of the subway, to this. We can only hope that this is an unusual confluence of events, and that better days are ahead through the summer.
