A 23-year old man was arrested by the RCMP on Friday on allegations he was preparing to leave Canada to engage in terrorism activity.
Kevin Omar Mohamed was arrested in Waterloo and is reported to be a former University of Waterloo student. He appeared in court Saturday after being charged with possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace and a concealed weapon, as well as the investigation of five anti-terrorism offenses and remains in custody.
According to the National Post, the police have reason to believe Mohamed would leave Canada to “engage in terrorism, advocate or promote terrorism and facilitate terrorist activity.”
In a release by the RCMP, superintendent Lise Crouch said, “This arrest speaks to our ability to tackle a threat that is multifaceted and constantly evolving. While there was no indication of any plans for a domestic attack, we must remain committed to preventing individuals from travelling abroad to gain training and expertise that could be used in the planning and implementation of future attacks on Canadian soil.”
Police say this was part of an “extensive national security criminal investigation” named Project SWAP carried out by the RCMP Integrated National Security Enforcement Team in Toronto.
Waterloo Regional Police are aware of the investigation and say they aided the RCMP.
According to the National Post, Mohamed was described as “socially awkward” and “always feeling out of place.”
