RCMP Arrests Quebec Man for Pro-Islamic State TikTok Posts

An RCMP sign is shown in Montreal, on March 7, 2024. The Canadian Press/Christinne Muschi

The RCMP said they have arrested a man in Quebec who posted TikTok videos in support of the Islamic State, as officers feared he would go on to commit terrorism offences.

The RCMP announced on May 21 that 40-year-old Mohamed Ali Ben Chaoua was arrested in Lévis, Que. The purpose of the police operation was to compel him to “cease his suspicious activities and to lay a terrorism peace bond.”

An investigation began in March 2025 following a report to the RCMP’s National Security Information Network. It came after Ben Chaoua allegedly made several posts on TikTok in support of the Islamic State.

The RCMP said the investigation is ongoing, all evidence will be analyzed, and charges may be laid at a later date. Ben Chaoua is scheduled to appear at the Québec City courthouse on May 22.

Police added that countering “radicalization to violence” is a priority for the Canadian government and the RCMP. “Collaboration and information sharing are key to detection and disruption efforts by law enforcement and their partners,” the RCMP said.

Back in August 2025, a Montreal youth was arrested on terrorism-related charges after he had allegedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and was in the process of planning an attack.

The RCMP said the boy was arrested in the Montreal borough of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce on Aug. 20. The investigation started in April after the boy said online that he intended to acquire weapons like AK-47s to carry out attacks on several groups of people.

The boy faced additional charges by August, including assaulting a police officer at RCMP headquarters, and remained in custody. In October, a youth court judge adjourned the matter until December because some evidence raised national security concerns that could not be fully shared without further processes. The teen remained detained pending further court appearances.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Public Report 2025 said that religiously motivated violent extremism (RMVE) has become “particularly concerning,” and there has been increased online and youth radicalization.

The report said the conflict between Israel and Hamas had contributed to a “global terrorism environment that is increasingly permissive for violent extremists.” In 2025, at least seven of CSIS’s priority investigations involving mobilization to violence had been motivated by this conflict “in whole or in part.”

In July 2025, CSIS Director Dan Rogers also said in a speech that one in 10 terrorism investigations at the agency now included at least one suspect under the age of 18. He said many youth in Canada were increasingly seeking out purpose online, which can result in them being led in an “unfortunate direction” toward radicalization.