A bomb blast near Parliament Hill that garnered investigative resources from major national security services appears to have been based on misinformation, two Canadian intelligence sources told Global News.
Police descended on the area surrounding the Parliament buildings on Saturday after receiving what sources called credible information about possible explosives in the area.
Read more: “Major” national security investigation underway over Parliament Hill explosives
Emergency call records reviewed by Global News showed that the Ottawa Police Service searched two vehicles, one at the intersection of Slater and Metcalfe streets, three blocks south of Parliament Hill and another near Supreme Court, and arrested at least two people.
The initial board was detailed, sources said Sunday, and included names, photographs and license plates.
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But several sources said Sunday that the searches found no explosives and that Ottawa police said there was no imminent threat to the public.
0:47 Closing of Parliament Hill while police are operating to deal with the “possible threat” Closing of Parliament Hill when the police operation to deal with the “possible threat” begins
Tensions have been high in parliament since the convoy protests last February, which saw a camp of trucks and protesters occupying the streets around the Hill for weeks before the Liberal government invoked emergency powers to clear the protest. .
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The government’s unprecedented decision to resort to the Emergency Act is now subject to scrutiny by multiple parliamentary committees and an independent judicial inquiry.
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Several police and intelligence sources said Saturday that the council was based on information from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which suggested some international links to the perceived threat.
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The investigation involved a national security team led by the RCMP and the Parliamentary Protection Service, which are responsible for security on Parliament Hill.
The PPS issued a “shelter in place” order for lawmakers, senators and staff who were at the venue on Saturday afternoon as police worked to “clean up” the two suspicious vehicles.
Since the false alarm, questions have arisen within the security and intelligence community about the welfare of the initial board and how the information was reviewed.
Read more: Canada ‘unprepared’ for growing threats to national security, former officials warn
A spokesman for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, which is responsible for investigating national security threats, said the agency had no information about the incident and sent Global News to the National Security Service. ‘Ottawa.
Several attempts to reach Ottawa police on Sunday were unsuccessful.
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