Arrest in alleged terror plot

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A man was detained Monday after he tried to recruit an undercover police officer in an alleged plan to unleash terrorist attacks on several sites in Toronto. The arrest of Jhanzab Malik was the conclusion of an investigation by the RCMP that started less than six months ago and experts have said that it could be a couple of more months before he’s deported. 33 year old Jahanzab Malik appeared from his Lindsay, Ontario detention centre via video conference to face the immigration and refugee board of Canada, 48-hours after he was detained by the Canadian Border Service Agency over allegations of engaging in terrorism and being a danger to the security of Canada. The RCMP has been investigating Mr. Malik’s activities since last September. The CBSA says that Mr. Malik, who arrived in Canada in 2004 on a student visa to attend York University – attempted to recruit what turned out to be an undercover officer to help him make an explosive device that would detonate remotely. His target include the U.S Consulate in Toronto and other buildings in the city’s financial district. Jhanzab Malik will stay detained until his next review March 16 after the CBSA requested an extended stay based on several grounds including being a danger to the public and security.

David Hyde, a independent security consultant, believes that extra time is very valuable for the RCMP. “Now they have time to go more investigations. They will do that abroad. They will see if he had connections to other countries including his home country of Pakistan. They’ll look at his connections, his communication devices…they’ll look at the internet…his sms. They’ll try to track back on who was motivating, funding, supporting, giving logistical support. There are a lot of moving parts with this type of investigation.”

Terrorism expert John Thompson believes that ISIS’ global message is tough for Canada’s law enforcement to control. “Now we get thousands of incidents a year from an ideology that all around the planet. They’re busy everywhere – in fact we can’t even keep up with the statistics because there’s so much activity going on”

“There’s not enough police, theres not enough RCMP and authorities. They do a great job, but there’s not enough of them to keep up with every source in Canada.” Says David Hyde. He suggests that Canadians become more educated on how to spot a potential terror threat. “how can we be engaged and informed, as to what we need to see that might be unusual. When should we come forward to the authorities and what should we report and how can we help in this fight against terrorism because we are living in a bit of a new reality”.

In the wake of his capture, Public Safety Minister Steve Blaney has thanked the RCMP for all their work to detail Jhanzab Makil.