June 3 (Bloomberg) -- Canadian police arrested 12 men and five youths, saying they were members of a terrorist ring that plotted to build bombs to set off in southern Ontario. The group received three metric tons (6,614 pounds) of ammonium nitrate, triple the amount of the substance used in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing that killed 168 people, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement today.
The group adopted an ideology that was ``inspired by al- Qaeda,'' said Luc Portelance, a member of Canada's spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, during a televised press conference today.
Canada was criticized in November 2002 in an audiotape released purporting to be a message from Osama bin Laden, saying Canada was ``allying themselves with America in attacking us in Afghanistan.'' Al-Qaeda listed five countries for attack including Canada, and has attacked the other four -- the U.S., the U.K., Spain and Australia. ``As we have said on many occasions, Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism,'' Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement from Ottawa. ``Today, Canada's security and intelligence measures worked.''
Toronto's subway system wasn't a target of the group, police said. They declined to say what the intended targets were.
Russ Knocke, a spokesman for U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said there ``is no indication'' the plot spilled over into the U.S.
Those charged will appear in a Toronto court later today, police said. The charges include training for the purposes of terrorism, handling illegal weapons and explosives and using other property for terrorism, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Mike McDonell. ``It was their intent to use it for a terrorist attack,'' McDonell said.
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