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Canada: Police say foiled 'anti-government militia' plot in Quebec, seized weapons cache
Police in Canada have arrested four men—including two active military members—who are accused of plotting to form an anti-government militia and seize land in Quebec, according to a report from The Guardian.
Authorities say the men were gathering weapons and military gear, marking the largest weapons stash ever uncovered in a Canadian terrorism investigation.
On Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) charged Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, from Quebec City; Simon Angers-Audet, 24, from Neuville; and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, also from Quebec City. Police allege they were planning terrorist activities, including creating a militia, conducting military-style training, shooting, ambush exercises, survival skills, and scouting missions.
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A fourth man, Matthew Forbes, 33, from Pont-Rouge, was charged with possessing firearms, banned devices, and explosives. None of the men have entered pleas yet.
The RCMP said searches in Quebec in January 2024 uncovered 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, and other military equipment—about 18 months before the arrests were made. The investigation involved the RCMP's national security team and local police.
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So far, police have not shared details about the group's exact motives or any specific targets for their plan to seize land near Quebec City.
The RCMP released photos showing handguns, assault rifles, tactical vests, and ammunition seized during the investigation.
'This is by far the largest collection of weapons and explosives ever found in a terrorist case in Canada,' said Jessica Davis, a former intelligence analyst and president of the consultancy Insight Threat Intelligence. She added that the size of the weapons cache is significant even compared to plots disrupted in other Nato countries.
Police also shared images from one suspect's social media accounts, suggesting efforts to recruit others to join the militia.
Davis explained that in the past two decades, most terror plots in Canada have involved ideologically motivated violence, rather than groups like al-Qaida or Islamic State.
'We're talking about anti-Muslim extremists, 'Incel' groups, or anti-government movements,' she said. 'People often think of Islamic State, but the real problem in Canada has often been other types of extremism.'
The four men were set to appear in a Quebec court on Tuesday. The charges have not yet been proven in court.
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