Yesterday, as part of a national security criminal investigation following the knife attack at a Canadian Forces recruitment centre on March 14, 2016, the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) in Ontario charged Ayanle Hassan Ali, 27, with a terrorism-related offence.
Ali is charged under section 83.2 of the Criminal Code with:
- three counts of attempted murder,
- two counts of committing assault causing bodily harm, three counts of committing assault using a weapon, and
- one count of carrying a weapon dangerous to the public, for the benefit of a terrorist group.
These are in addition to charges laid by the Toronto Police Service on March 15, 2016.
“Terrorism-related charges require a significant investigation, which can be time-consuming,” said Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Strachan, Commanding Officer of RCMP “O” Division. “I would like to highlight the efforts of our INSET here in Ontario which worked diligently to obtain the evidence required for these charges.” Toronto Police stated at the time of the arrest there were indications from the accused’s comments, while in custody the crime could be related to terror.
The RCMP-led INSETs are multi-agency teams responsible for investigating all criminal threats related to national security in Canada. They are made up of specially trained members of the RCMP and provincial and municipal law enforcement agencies, and national security partners at the federal, provincial and municipal levels.
“As part of INSET, the Toronto Police Service contributes to investigating criminal threats related to national security. We recognize the tremendous value of law enforcement, working in close collaboration, to protecting the safety of all Canadians,” said Toronto Police Service Chief Mark Saunders. Aynle Hassan Ali is believed to have been working alone.
As Canada’s national police force, the RCMP is responsible for leading the Canadian response to terrorist criminal activity through national security criminal investigations both at home and abroad. The RCMP and its partners encourage the public to report suspicious activities by contacting the police in their community or the National Security Information Network at 1-800-420-5805.
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