Largest Canadian terror weapons haul seized in police probe

Four Arrested in Canada Over Alleged Anti-Government Plot, Weapons Seized

Canadian authorities have arrested and charged four individuals, including active military personnel, accused of planning to form an anti-government militia and attempting to seize land by force in Quebec.

The materials recovered by police, which included explosives and assault rifles, represent the largest weapons seizure ever recorded in a terrorism-related case in Canada.

On Tuesday, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) charged Marc-Aurèle Chabot, 24, from Quebec City, Simon Angers-Audet, 24, from Neuville, and Raphaël Lagacé, 25, from Quebec City, with taking steps to support terrorist activities.

“The accused intended to establish an anti-government militia. To do so, they participated in military-style drills, including shooting practice, ambush tactics, and survival training. They also conducted reconnaissance,” the RCMP stated.

A fourth individual, Matthew Forbes, 33, from Pont-Rouge, faces charges for possessing firearms, restricted devices, and explosives. None of the accused have entered pleas yet.

Police carried out searches in Quebec in January 2024, uncovering 16 explosive devices, 83 firearms, 11,000 rounds of ammunition, and additional military gear. The arrests came 18 months later. The investigation was handled by Quebec’s national security enforcement team, with assistance from local law enforcement.

While authorities described the group’s goal as forming an “anti-government militia,” they did not specify the ideology behind the plot or identify the intended target of the alleged land seizure near Quebec City.

Images released by the RCMP showed confiscated weapons, including handguns, assault rifles, tactical vests, and ammunition.

“This is by far the largest weapons and explosives cache ever found in a terrorism-related investigation in Canada,” said Jessica Davis, a former intelligence analyst with Canada’s spy agency and head of Insight Threat Intelligence, a consulting firm.

“The scale of this seizure is among the biggest in disrupted plots globally, particularly within NATO nations. The volume of military equipment is staggering—we still don’t know their exact plans.”

The RCMP also shared screenshots from a suspect’s social media profile, which allegedly aimed to recruit others to join the militia.

Davis noted that in recent years, most terror attacks in Canada have been driven by extremist ideologies unrelated to groups like al-Qaida or Islamic State.

“The focus is now on anti-government, anti-Muslim, or other domestic extremist movements. Many Canadians may not realize that this type of threat is more prevalent than international terrorism.”