Canadian Police have arrested a man on suspicion of terrorist activities but released him on lack of evidence, a day after terror charges were brought against three men arrested by the same police unit.
Friday’s arrest comes amid a continuing probe into a group of Canadian citizens allegedly working with an international terrorist organisation on plots to make bombs and aid Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.
Police said the suspect was arrested in Ottawa as part of “standard operating procedures” after carrying out a search warrant.
The person has not been charged or named by police.
Three men have already been charged under Canada’s anti-terrorism act with conspiring with people in Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai and Pakistan.
Hiva Alizadeh and Misbahuddin Ahmed were held in custody following a court appearance on Thursday, while Khurram Sher was charged with terrorism-related offences following a brief court appearance on Friday.
There are now eight suspects in a massive police probe into an alleged terror plot to bomb the Parliament buildings, the Ottawa Citizen has reported.
But the Ottawa Citizen has learned the team carrying out the investigation, known as Project Samossa, has now identified an eighth conspirator in the homegrown terrorist bomb plot against the country’s seat of government and coalition troops in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, on Friday, several police vehicles and a heavily armed tactical team converged on a vehicle in Ottawa, handcuffing the driver, who appeared to be in his late 20s, and searched the car.
RCMP said the man, the seventh arrested, has not been charged and his identity was being withheld.