Examining of the Most Recent Canadian Terror Plots

Canada has recently been shaken by two major terrorist plots with implications for its immigration system.

The latest case involves Pakistani national Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, who was arrested on September 4 by the RCMP in Ormstown, Quebec, close to the U.S. border.

The FBI led the investigation, which was part of an undercover operation. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Khan was planning a mass shooting at a Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York, using automatic and semi-automatic weapons, in support of ISIS.

Authorities indicated that Khan aimed to carry out the attack around significant Jewish dates, such as the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel or Yom Kippur.

Khan faces charges in the U.S. for attempting to support a foreign terrorist organization and could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

He will first appear in a Montreal court on September 13 for an extradition hearing.

Canadian officials have not commented on Khan's immigration status, with Immigration Canada spokesperson Remi Lariviere stating, “We cannot comment on active investigations or individual cases.”

In response to Khan’s arrest, Jewish advocacy group B'nai Brith Canada has criticized the Canadian government for not preventing the entry of individuals with radical views, claiming that Canada is becoming a breeding ground for terrorists.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller is scheduled to address the House of Commons public safety committee on September 19 regarding immigration issues linked to Khan’s plot and another planned attack involving Ahmed Eldidi and his son, Mostafa Eldidi, who were arrested in Richmond Hill, Ontario, in July.

The RCMP alleges they were in the advanced stages of planning a serious attack in Toronto and has linked them to ISIS.

Ahmed Eldidi, who first entered Canada on a visitor visa in 2018 and later claimed asylum, obtained Canadian citizenship in May 2024.

Mostafa Eldidi entered Canada in 2020 and was granted refugee status in 2022. Details of the case are limited due to a publication ban.

Additionally, a foiled plot in Ottawa in 2023 also remains under a publication ban, though it is known to have targeted Jewish individuals.

One youth was arrested in December 2023 and charged with several terrorism-related offences. Two additional charges were laid in February, and a second youth was charged as a co-conspirator.

In another case, Zakarya Rida Hussein pleaded guilty in December 2023 to facilitating terrorist activity. Arrested in June 2023 in Calgary for four terrorism-related offences, Hussein admitted to sharing an ISIS recruitment video on social media, stating his mission would begin during Pride month.

Three minors from Calgary were also arrested in this investigation.

In April 2023, Abdul Aziz Kawam was arrested in Surrey, B.C., on charges related to assaults committed on behalf of ISIS.

Kawam is accused of slashing a man’s throat with a knife on public transit and faces four terrorism-related charges.