Canadian Armed Forces members plotted ‘anti-government militia’, police say
Four men, including two members of the Canadian Armed Forces, face accusations in Canada for an alleged plot to create an “anti-government militia” and “forcibly” seized land, said the Royal Canadian mounted police (RCMP).
According to police, three of the suspects participated in military style training, shooting exercises and screening operations in the Quebec City region as part of their alleged plot.
The group would also have stored explosive devices, dozens of firearms and thousands of ammunition balls, which were all seized by the RCMP.
The four were arrested and are expected to appear before the Quebec City Court on Tuesday, police announced.
The men included include Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, both from Quebec City, as well as Simon Angers-Audet, 24, from Neuville.
The trio is accused of having taken “concrete actions to facilitate terrorist activity,” said the RCMP in its press release.
A fourth man, Matthew Forbes, 33, from Pont -Rouge – a city of nearly 28 miles (45 km) to the west of Quebec City – was also charged in relation to the alleged plot. He was accused of having firearms, some of which are prohibited in Canada, as well as explosives.
The police said that a search made in January 2024 led to the seizure of 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms and accessories, nearly 11,000 ammunition cartridges and around 130 magazines. Night vision glasses and military equipment have also been found.
The RCMP did not specify what were the alleged reasons of the suspects, but said that the group intended to “force possession of land in the Quebec region”.
Police added that one of the suspects had created an Instagram account “in order to recruit new members at the anti-government militia”.
In a statement, the Canadian armed forces confirmed that two of their active members were one of the four who were arrested and charged, although they did not appoint them.
“The Canadian Armed Forces take these allegations very seriously and have fully participated in the investigation,” he said.
The arrests is pressure on the Canadian army to combat extremism in its own ranks.
A 2022 report of the army’s advisory panel on systemic racism and discrimination revealed that the number of army members with extremist groups was increasing.
