Video shows police raiding Toronto home of father, son facing terror charges

CP24 has obtained video of police raiding a Scarborough home of a father and son who were allegedly planning a “serious violent attack in Toronto.”

In the video, multiple members of an emergency response team can be seen hopping out of a white van and descending on the property, which CTV News Toronto is not providing the location of, on the night of July 28.

At one point, a flash of light can be seen on the video, which may have been a flash-bang used by police upon entry. One neighbour said she heard a “loud bang” on the night of the raid.

“I am scared because I am always outside,” Hema Rampersad told CP24 on Wednesday after the RCMP announced multiple terror-related charges against Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi, 62, and Mostafa Eldidi, 26.

“And you see, this is a very quiet street, and I have to be careful,” she said.

Police have said that both suspects were taken into custody at a hotel in Richmond Hill.

Neighbours told CP24 that a woman in her 40s, who they believed to be the mother of the younger suspect, also lived in the home, as well as another man in his 20s, believed to be her other son.

They say the family moved into the house about a year-and-a-half ago and that the father was rarely seen, if ever.

“Now, the father, we’ve never seen…So it’s really surprising that there was a father also involved,” Raju Mohan explained. “I mean, this is the first time, probably even cops coming into the street, so it was really bit of a shock for all of us to know that. And I think as neighbours, we also feel bad that we didn’t know what was going on in our own neighbourhood.”

The charges against the two suspects were announced at a news conference held by RCMP officials on Wednesday. They said an Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) became aware of the threat in early July.

“We’re still trying to establish exactly who were the intended targets of this,” Assistant Commissioner Matt Peggs, Commanding Officer for Ontario, told reporters.

Both suspects are Canadian citizens.

The scope of the suspect’s alleged terrorist plot is unclear, but court documents show that prosecutors believe they knowingly facilitated a terrorist activity and were knowingly helping the Islamic State enhance its ability to carry out terrorist activity. The pair is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The documents also allege that sometime around July 28, Ahmed Fouad Mostafa Eldidi bought an axe and Mostafa Eldidi bought a machete for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with the Islamic State.

Police underscored that while they believe the extent of the planned attack was “small,” it was also very “real.”

“The information we have is it wasn’t some sort of widespread sort of threat which provides us some confidence in saying that we believe the threat is neutralized,” Parr said. “We don’t believe there is something outstanding right now as we sit here. But as far as where that plan might have went, naturally we don’t know how it could have grown.” (edited) 

With files from CP24’s Joshua Freeman