Despite allegedly planning to carry out the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham terrorist attack, a man caught in Canada with plans to kill as many Jews in New York as possible allegedly was applying for refugee status in Canada, claiming he was gay.
20-year-old Mohammad Shahzeb Khan, an international student from Pakistan studying in Canada, is accused of plotting a mass shooting attack to “slaughter as many Jewish civilians as possible” around the one-year marking of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attack on Israel.
Khan was originally in Canada on a study permit he applied for in March 2023. After being approved as an international student, Khan landed in Toronto on June 23, 2023. Immigration officials have said Khan didn’t raise any red flags during his immigration application.
As reported by the CBC, his immigration consultant told the public broadcaster that the alleged ISIS terrorist was in the process of claiming refugee status in Canada based on his sexual orientation.
“He said he was gay,” Fazal Qadeer, Khan’s immigration consultant, told the CBC.
Khan is currently detained in a Montreal jail. At the same time, the U.S. seeks his extradition to face a charge of attempting to provide material support and resources to a designated terror group, ISIS.
According to an RCMP report, the RCMP and FBI began a joint investigation on Sept. 4, which led to Khan’s arrest in Ormstown, Quebec.
Khan faces charges of allegedly attempting to leave Canada to commit an offence for a terrorist group, participating in the activities of a terrorist group, and conspiracy to commit an offence by violating U.S. immigration law, entering or attempting to enter the U.S. unlawfully.
Khan had allegedly told undercover FBI officials about his plans to carry out “the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11.”
“The news of threats to the Jewish community is alarming. We will not tolerate any form of threats, harassment or violence targeting Jewish communities,” the report said. “The RCMP continues to work in collaboration with our domestic and international partners to detect, investigate and disrupt criminal acts that are targeting Jewish Communities.”
The US affidavit against Khan details how he allegedly told undercover agents multiple times of his plans to attack various locations in the US, eventually settling for New York City due to it having “the largest Jewish population in America.”
“New York is perfect for targeting Jews because it has the largest Jewish population in America. Even if we don’t attack an event, we could rack up easily a lot of Jews,” Khan allegedly told the undercover agents. “We are going to NYC to slaughter them.”
He allegedly told the undercover agents to equip themselves for the attack, saying that even if he was detained, they should proceed with the terror attack.
The affidavit said that Khan also informed the undercovers that he had identified a human smuggler to get himself across the border into New York City.
He also allegedly expressed his desire to travel to West Africa to join an ISIS branch and that he wanted to send money to the Islamic State of Khorasan and told the undercover officers repeatedly about his excitement and support of ISIS writ large.
This arrest came right off the heels of another foiled alleged ISIS-linked terrorist plot where law enforcement prevented Ahmed Eldidi, 62 and his son Mostafa Eldidi, 26, from allegedly carrying out an axe and machete attack in Toronto.
In August, RCMP arrested a young person for their alleged support of an unidentified terrorist group. However, the suspect’s identity remains confidential due to the age of the accused at the time of the alleged offence.
Jewish advocacy groups raised concerns over border security amid rising antisemitic attacks in Canada, and US senators have also warned of a need for a stronger US-Canada border due to concerns over Canada’s immigration procedures.
Khan’s next court date is Dec. 6 at the Quebec Superior Court in Montreal by video.
