TORONTO — RCMP in Montreal arrested 10 young people over the weekend who were suspected of wanting to leave Canada to join jihadist groups.
In a statement released late Tuesday, RCMP said the arrests took place at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport and the persons arrested were released without charge.
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The RCMP said all 10 suspects had their passports confiscated and an investigation into the matter is ongoing.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said he could not “comment on specific operational matters” regarding the arrests.
“I commend the RCMP and the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team for their continued vigilance in keeping our streets and communities safe from the ongoing global terror threat,” Blaney said in a statement.
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Officers have met with the families and friends of the suspects and ask that the privacy of the family members be respected.
“These are very difficult times for the relatives and loved ones of the persons arrested, as the decision to leave the country was not that of the family, but of a single family member,” the RCMP said.
“As a result, family members often find themselves at a complete loss and unable to understand the decision made by the youth.”
The RCMP said in a statement that it is unable to release any names or information on what led to the arrests.
The weekend arrests follow reports earlier this year that six young people from the Montreal area had left the country in mid-January and may have joined jihadist groups in the Middle East.
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A well-placed source confirmed the six people between 18 and 20 years old all went to Turkey, which is a well-known gateway to jihadists groups based in Syria and Iraq. Montreal police would only confirm that they were investigating several cases of missing adults.
In April in Montreal, a young man and woman were arrested in what the Crown called a “preventive measure.”
El Mahdi Jamali and Sabrine Djermane, both 18, later pleaded not guilty to four charges, including attempting to leave Canada to commit a terrorist act abroad. A bail hearing for the pair is scheduled for early June.
Also in April, a judge in Edmonton ordered a psychiatric exam for an Alberta teen who was arrested in Beaumont, Alta., in March on allegations he was planning to leave Canada to fight with Islamic State militants.
-with files from Canadian Press
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