Canadian law enforcement has charged a man accused of collaborating with the Islamic State, allegedly sharing information with ISIS and plotting murder. Officials have also connected him to several hate crimes against the Jewish community.
Waleed Khan, a 26-year-old from Toronto, faces charges for conspiring to commit murder for a terrorist organization, funding ISIS, and assisting in terrorist activities, as announced by Toronto police on Friday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police reported that Khan’s alleged offenses occurred between June 17 and August 17 of this year.
Besides the terrorism-related charges, Khan and two accomplices are accused of attacking women and Jewish community members, according to authorities.
Khan is confronted with multiple legal accusations, including conspiring with the Islamic State to share information and two attempted kidnappings, Toronto police revealed.
Alongside Khan, Osman Azizov, 18, and Fahad Sadaat, 19, were detained in relation to two attempted abductions in the Greater Toronto Area during May and June, according to the Toronto police.
In May, authorities say a woman was approached by the three men — one armed with a handgun and another with a knife — who then attempted to force her into a vehicle. However, the three individuals allegedly fled when approached by another motorist.
Osman Azizov is facing multiple charges stemming from two separate alleged kidnapping incidents, according to Toronto police. (Toronto Police Service)
Less than one month later, the three men allegedly approached a pair of women while carrying a handgun, rifle and knife. Authorities said they began chasing the victims until a nearby witness intervened.
After taking the three suspects into custody, authorities said investigators discovered a trove of firearms, along with evidence suggesting the commission of additional hate crimes targeting members of the Jewish community.
Fahad Sadaat is facing multiple charges stemming from two separate alleged kidnapping incidents, according to Toronto police. (Toronto Police Service)
Police say 79 charges have been brought against the three men in total, with each facing 14 charges, including attempted kidnapping with a firearm, sexual assault with a weapon and hate crimes.
“What began as armed, coordinated attempts to kidnap women led to significant arrests and charges, stopping a dangerous escalation of hate-motivated crimes and terrorism across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond,” Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah said in a statement. “Thank you to our investigators and partners at the Toronto Police Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their collaboration and tireless efforts to keep our communities safe.”
