Toronto police charge 3 men with attempted kidnappings targeting Jews and women

Canadian police arrest three men for attempted kidnappings targeting Jews and women.

The suspects are named as Waleed Khan, 26, Osman Azizov, 18, Fahad Sadaat, 19. The suspects are all from Toronto.

The arrests stem from two incidents earlier this year.

In Toronto, in May, three men, one armed with a handgun and another with a knife, approached a woman and attempted to force her into a vehicle. The assailants fled when the attempted kidnapping was interrupted by a passing driver, police say in a statement.

In June, in the nearby city of Mississauga, three men with a handgun, a rifle and a knife exited a vehicle and chased two women. They also fled the scene after a passing motorist intervened, police say.

The individuals were “targeting women and members of the Jewish community,” Toronto police chief Myron Demkiw says, without providing further details.

The suspects’ residences were searched, uncovering firearms, ammunition and high-capacity magazines, as well as other evidence that indicated hate motivation.

“Investigators also uncovered links to terrorism,” a police statement says.

A court-imposed gag order has prevented the publication of further details, the statement says.

The suspects are hit with a total of 79 charges, including conspiracy to commit kidnapping and hostage taking; weapons possession, sexual assault; motor vehicle theft; and forgery.

The arrests come amid fear in Diaspora Jewish communities following the antisemitic massacre in Australia last week and a surge in antisemitism in Canada.