EDMONTON — An Edmonton man has been convicted in the United Kingdom of being a member of a proscribed terrorist group.
RCMP said Khaled Hussein, a Canadian citizen, was convicted Tuesday of being involved in al-Muhajiroun, an organization linked to killings and attacks in London.
Mounties say he was convicted alongside and shared information on behalf of Anjem Choudary, a director of the proscribed group.
Both are to be sentenced later this month.
Police said Hussein, who worked at an Edmonton gas station, was determined as far back as 2019 as being a person of interest among those who recruit and radicalize entry into violent extremism.
In June 2023, RCMP said investigators learned Hussein was travelling to London. He was arrested a month later at Heathrow Airport.
Choudary was also arrested that month and charged with being a member of the group, directing it and encouraging support.
RCMP said the investigation involved law enforcement from the U.K. and the United States.
“This investigation is truly an example of how information and intelligence sharing as well as collaboration between countries is vital to stopping the spread of online extremism and radicalization,” said RCMP Assistant Commissioner Lisa Moreland of the northwest region in federal policing operations.
“It serves as a reminder that extremism can take hold even in the unlikeliest of locations and that we must all remain vigilant.”
Choudary, a British citizen, was convicted in 2016 for terror charges related to inviting support for Islamic State militants.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 23, 2024.
The Canadian Press
