Canadian soldiers charged over plot to seize part of Quebec
Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) arrested four people in total and said that three of the suspects had taken 'concrete actions to facilitate terrorist activity'.
In a statement, the force said: 'The three accused were planning to create anti-government militia.
'To achieve this, they took part in military-style training, as well as shooting, ambush, survival and navigation exercises. They also conducted a scouting operation.'
The group was allegedly using a variety of guns – some prohibited – as well as high-capacity magazines and tactical equipment such as grenades and night-vision goggles.
Court documents said the training reportedly took place between June 2021 and January 2024 in Quebec City and Montreal as well as Rolphton and Petawawa in Ontario.
Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, both of Quebec City, and Simon Angers-Audet, 24, of Neuville, Quebec, were charged with facilitating terrorist activity following their arrests on Tuesday morning.
They are also facing additional charges relating to the alleged illegal storage of guns and the possession of explosives and prohibited devices.
Police said a fourth suspect – Matthew Forbes, 33, of Pont-Rouge, Quebec – was charged with possessing guns, prohibited devices and explosives, among other offences.
An email from the Department of National Defence confirmed that two of the suspects were active members of Canada's armed forces.
'The Canadian armed forces is taking these allegations very seriously and has fully participated in the investigation led by the RCMP,' the department said.
It has not been confirmed which of the four suspects were in the military.
Police said investigations into the plot began in March 2023, with the force conducting searches in January 2024 that led to the seizure of 16 explosive devices, some 11,000 rounds of ammunition and other weapons in Quebec City.
Cpl Erique Gasse described the case as 'ideologically motivated violent extremism'.
The suspects wanted to create an anti-government 'community' north of Quebec City and allegedly used a private Instagram account to recruit members, Cpl Gasse said.
RCMP distributed a photo from the account that showed seven people in military-style uniforms brandishing firearms, not disclosing who was pictured.
'We know there were followers on that site,' he said. 'They were trying to recruit people who had knowledge about guns and they were telling people where they were training in Quebec or in Ontario.'
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