Brampton, Ont. — Members of an alleged homegrown terror cell appeared in a Brampton courtroom Saturday to face chargers they plotted to attack Canadian targets in Southern Ontario. In a series of raids Friday, police arrested 12 adults and five young offenders. In the process, they seized enough ammonium nitrate fertilizer to build an explosive device three times more devastating than the one used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. "This group presented a real and serious threat. They had the capacity and intent to carry out a terrorist attack," said RCMP Asst. Commissioner Mike McDonell. "Our investigation and arrests prevented the assembly of explosive devices and attacks being carried out. At all times, the focus of our investigation was the safety and protection of the public," he added.
Fifteen of the 17 accused were ushered into the Brampton, Ont. courtroom shackled in leg irons and surrounded by an awesome show of police force. Security was tight with police snipers watching from positions on the roof, while tactical officers carrying M16 assault rifles and MP5 submachine guns patrolled the ground. Bomb-sniffing dogs were on hand. Spectators were scrutinized at a series of three command checkpoints. Anyone allowed inside the court was required to remove their shoes and demonstrate that any equipment they carried was what it appeared to be.