A British Columbia man and woman are facing three terror charges after they allegedly left devices similar to those used in the Boston Marathon bombing intended to “cause death” during Canada Day celebrations at the provincial legislature.
John Stewart Nuttall, 38, and Amanda Marie Korody, 28, have been charged with knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity and making or possessing an explosive device.
RCMP said the pair took steps to build explosives device — using pressure cookers, which were used in the Boston attack — to cause “death and injuries” during Canada Day celebrations in Victoria and they were inspired by “Al Qaeda ideology.”
Pictures provided by the RCMP showed rusted nails inside the pressure cookers.
“These individuals were inspired by al-Qaeda ideology. Our investigation demonstrated that this was a domestic threat, without international linkages,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner James Malizia said in a statement.
The devices were left outside the B.C legislature where crowds were going to gather for Canada Day celebrations, the RCMP said.
Police said the investigation has been ongoing since February but at no time was the public safety at risk and that the devices were “under RCMP control.”
The accused are Canadian-born, police said, and said
they had no contact with international terrorist organizations but were “inspired by Al-Qaeda.”
Assistant Commissioner Wayne Rideout described the pair as “self-radicalized.”
The pair live in Surrey, B.C. and we arrested in nearby Abbotsford.
Nutall has a 2010 conviction for possessing a weapon for a dangerous purpose, among other criminal convictions, the Vancouver Sun reports.
The RCMP said the arrests have been made in relation to project SOUVENIR, a national security investigation co-ordinated by a RCMP-led Integrated National Security Enforcement Team. ...
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