Moroccan resident charged in connection to Ontario school bomb threats

A Moroccan resident faces charges in connection to a series of bomb threats sent to schools in Ontario.

On Nov. 1, multiple schools and other public facilities received threatening messages, indicating that bombs had been placed at their locations, OPP said in a press release.

The threats also included a demand for money in exchange for details about the alleged explosives, police said.

Schools in northern and eastern Ontario were closed and evacuated due to threats. And in southern Ontario, Halton Regional Police said a threat was made at Nelson High School on New Street in Burlington.

In Toronto, several schools received bomb threats including Kipling Collegiate, Lakeshore CI and Western Tech.

No bombs or devices were found in any location.

In late November, the OPP announced an individual in Morocco was arrested in connection with a series of bomb threats against schools in Belgium. At that time police believed the person was also connected to the Ontario bomb threats.

Today (Dec. 27), police said the individual arrested in Morocco by Belgian police has been charged by the OPP in connection with the series of bomb threats that occurred in Ontario.

An investigation began with the Criminal Investigation Branch, working closely with the OPP Cybercrime Investigations Team and Belgian Police. Police later obtained an arrest warrant.

El Hachm El Moussi, 45, from Casablanca, Morocco, is charged with two counts of uttering threats, two counts of mischief, and two counts of extortion.

The OPP is consulting with the Federal Department of Justice to determine how the accused will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice.