Young offenders in the 2006 Ontario terrorism plot

Among the 18 arrests during the 2006 Toronto terrorism case were five youths whose names could not be published because of the provisions of Canada's Youth Criminal Justice Act. One of them had the charges against him dropped nine months after his arrest and two others have been released on bail.

Two of the youths were former Hindus, who converted to Islam, similar to older suspect Steven Vikash Chand who also used to be Hindu.

Nishanthan Yogakrishnan

The sole youth whose case went to trial and was found guilty of conspiracy.[1][2]

He had moved to Canada with his family from Sri Lanka in 1994.[3]

Following the camping trip in Orillia, friends had suggested he should cut off the Prime Minister's head since he had enjoyed chopping wood so much.[3] Described by Shaikh as "a few fries short of a happy meal", the youth had suggested that the group convert the Aboriginal peoples in Canada to Islam, and then offer them control of Quebec City and Montreal in exchange for killing Quebeckers.[4]

At the trial, RCMP mole Mubin Shaikh was accused of "confecting evidence" in order to protect the youth by the crown prosecutor who made the rare move of labeling his own witness as hostile.[5] The youth was accused of shoplifting camping gear from a Canadian Tire, and removing a spy-camera that had been placed outside the ringleader's apartment door by the police.[6]

He was sentenced to 2 years which was already served, and released in May 2009 although a DNA sample was taken and he was given 2 years probation and a 10-year prohibition against owning weapons.[7] The publication ban was lifted after his guilt was determined.

Saad Gaya

Saad Gaya (born November 17, 1987) was a first generation Canadian of Pakistani descent. A friend of Saad Khalid, Gaya was recruited three months before the arrests and caught with Khalid unloading the ammonium nitrate in a warehouse at the time of his arrest.[8]

Gaya was underage at the time of his arrest and pleaded guilty in September 2009 at the age of 21. The court determined that his primary motivation was to convince Canada to pull its soldiers out of Afghanistan as he wanted to protect Muslim nations. Gaya had been selected to drive one of the suicide trucks but maintains that he was not aware of that part of the plan and did not believe anyone would die in the attacks.[9] He was sentenced to 12 years in prison on January 18, 2010.[10] Gaya is being held at the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ontario.[11]

The crown has appealed the sentence hoping for an increase to 17–18 years in prison instead of 12.[12]

Gaya's Bail Hearing decision, which contains many facts of the case as well as Gaya's admitted involvement, can be viewed here .

John Doe #1

John Doe #1, who was 15 years old at the time of the arrest, was a Grade 10 student at Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute in Toronto. He had converted to Islam from Hinduism several years earlier, upsetting his mother.[13] He is said to have hung out with 19-year-old Amin Mohamed Durrani. His math textbook was taken by police as evidence.[14]

Sharing a room with his older brother, he was an avid soccer player, and hoped to grow up to become a veterinarian. He was often mentioning wanting a pet dog. He faked a school outing, as an excuse to attend a survival camp with another of the young offenders. He told his mother that he had nightmares and fears about deserting Islam, concerned that he would go to hell.[15]

He was denied bail on June 27, 2006, but was granted bail for C$15,000 on July 16, 2006 in another hearing, and was released to his parents.[16]

All charges against him were dropped on February 23, 2007.[17]

John Doe #2

John Doe #2, who was 17 at the time of the alleged incident, was a Grade 12 student at Stephen Leacock Collegiate in Toronto. He had recently converted to Islam from Hinduism, which resulted in fights with his parents, and his alleged prayer in secret.[13] He is said to have hung out with 19-year-old Amin Mohamed Durrani. He was denied bail on June 27, 2007.[16]

John Doe #3

John Doe #3 was also a student at Stephen Leacock Collegiate.

Aabid Khan

Four days after the Toronto 18 suspects were arrested, Aabid Khan was arrested at London Heathrow Airport as he arrived from a flight from Islamabad as PIA Flight 785 from Pakistan International Airlines.

In August 2008, in London, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for attempting to incite an act of terrorism. American citizens who are involved in the case are Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Sadequee were convicted in Atlanta, Georgia and were sentenced to 13 and 17 years respectively on terrorism and conspiracy charges.[18]

Other information

All five youths were held at the Maplehurst Correctional Centre in Milton, Ontario, three were released on bail in July 2006. Three youths, it is unclear if they are the same three, had all charges stayed by September 2007.[19]

References

  1. ↑ Post, National (2008-09-25). "Ontario man guilty of taking part in terror plot". Canada.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  2. ↑ Thursday, August 8, 2013 1:31 AM EDT Facebook Twitter RSS (2009-02-07). "Terror camp police mole on his own, court told | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Austen, Ian (2008-09-25). "At Canada Terror Trial, the Accused Take on a Less Sinister Cast". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ Pazzano, Sam. Toronto Sun, "Students' insults upset spy", July 4, 2008
  5. ↑ Thursday, August 8, 2013 1:40 AM EDT Facebook Twitter RSS (2008-06-19). "If Shaikh's lying, whither the case? | Toronto Star". Thestar.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  6. ↑ The Star (Toronto). 2009-05-27 http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/640862. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. ↑
  8. ↑ "TORONTO 18". Toronto: thestar.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ "Canada jails Toronto truck bomb plotter Zakaria Amara". BBC News. 2010-01-18. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  11. ↑ "Ottawa to appeal 'Toronto 18' man's sentence | CTV Toronto News". Toronto.ctv.ca. 2010-02-15. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  12. ↑
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Teen terror suspects swept up in religion
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "News - The Scotsman". Edinburgh: News.scotsman.com. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  17. ↑
  18. ↑ "The case against Canada's plotters - Canada - CBC News". Cbc.ca. 2009-10-14. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  19. ↑ The Star (Toronto). 2007-09-24 http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/260004. Missing or empty |title= (help)