Othman Ayed Hamdan arrested, facing terrorism charges
Suspect is being held in custody, say B.C. RCMP
A man in Fort St. John, B.C., has been arrested and is facing terrorism charges, the RCMP says.
An RCMP investigation that began in October 2014 revealed that Othman Ayed Hamdan, 33, was allegedly involved in pro-Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) propaganda posted online.
Documents obtained by CBC show that a 33-year-old man with the same name in Fort St. John owns a residential building contracting company called Noex Contracting.
"This arrest today once again makes it very clear that the threat is real," said Kerry-Lynne Findlay, MP for Delta-Richmond East.
"That is why our government passed the Anti-Terrorism Act 2015, which enhances the ability of our police officers to detain suspected terrorists before they can harm Canadians."
Hamdan is currently being held in custody and will soon be appearing in court, say RCMP.
He faces three terrorism-related offences:
- counselling to commit murder for the benefit of a terrorist group.
- counselling to assault causing bodily harm for the benefit of a terrorist group.
- counselling to commit aggravated assault for the benefit of a terrorist group.
Findlay was not able to provide any details about Hamdan, including his nationality.
RCMP say they are not able to comment because the matter is before the courts.