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AI flags photo of gun, resulting in Paris Interpol investigation and Toronto man’s arrest

In this photo taken on Thursday, Nov.8, 2018 people walk on the Interpol logo at the international police agency headquarters in Lyon, central France. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Artificial intelligence flagged a photo of a gun posted online, leading to Interpol authorities in Paris being notified and resulting in the arrest of a man in Toronto, police say.

Toronto police said Monday that, on June 4, a man threatened to “shoot up” a school in a post on an online platform. A Toronto police spokesperson told Global News a specific school was not named, calling it a “blanket threat.”

The man posted a photo of a gun, police added, and the image was flagged by AI and the platform’s security team was notified.

Police told Global News the online platform was called Yubo.

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The security team then notified Interpol authorities in Paris and the post was traced back to Canada, police said.

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Ottawa Interpol was then notified, and the Toronto Police Service subsequently got involved when it was determined that the post allegedly originated from a Toronto home.

On June 6, officers executed a search warrant at a home.

Police said prior to arresting the suspect, he attempted to discard a handgun, but a fully loaded gun was located and seized.

Toronto man Salimou Dansoko, 20, has been charged with multiple offences including uttering threats, unauthorized possession of a firearm, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, two counts of careless storage of a firearm, weapon, or prohibited device, possession of a weapon, unauthorized possession of a prohibited or restricted weapon and failing to comply with a release order.

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