Burlington man charged over ISIL fighter ‘hoax’

RCMP announced charges against a Burlington, Ont., man, saying he claimed to have gone to Syria to fight with ISIL in 2016, but was instead involved in an elaborate hoax. On Friday, RCMP O Division’s Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (OINSET) announced the arrest of Shehroze Chaudhry, 25, “in connection with a hoax regarding terrorist activity.” OINSET investigates people who have left Canada to join terror groups, or who later come back to Canada after being involved in terrorism overseas. According to a release, Chaudhry did “numerous” media interviews with outlets, in which he claimed he went to Syria to fight for ISIL, and committed terrorist acts. Now, RCMP says it was all a hoax, and says Chaudhry was arrested for causing alarm in this country. “The interviews were published in multiple media outlets, aired on podcasts and featured on a television documentary, raising public safety concerns amongst Canadians,” RCMP said. Chaudhry has been charged with hoax-terrorist activity, and is to appear at a Brampton court Nov. 16.