Police say a suspect arrested in Morocco in connection with bomb threats in Belgium is now facing charges in similar incidents in Ontario.
Ontario Provincial Police said in late November they had "strong reason" to believe the suspect was also behind a series of threatening messages against schools and public facilities in the province earlier that month.
They said the messages claimed bombs had been placed at those locations, but "no actual explosives were ever found."
The threats also included demands for money in exchange for information about the alleged explosives.
The threats, which became public Nov. 1, targeted multiple schools under multiple school boards across the North East and North West Regions, demanding payment. As a precaution, the majority of the targeted schools were closed while police investigated.
All schools in the Timmins area were closed as a result of the threat. At the time, Sudbury.com reached out to the four local school boards operating in the Greater Sudbury area. All four local school boards — Rainbow District School Board, Sudbury Catholic District School Board, Conseil scolaire du Grand Nord and Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon — reported they were not threatened.
OPP now say the suspect, who is from Morocco, is charged with two counts each of uttering threats, mischief and extortion in connection with the Ontario incidents.
Police say they are consulting with the federal department of justice to figure out how the accused will appear before an Ontario court.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 27, 2023.
The Canadian Press
