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Motive unclear after Canada engineering students charged in explosives case

Nadine YousifSenior Canada reporter
News imageGetty Images An image of the Ontario Court of Justice in London, Ontario. The photo is taken from a low angle, showing the concrete building which is grey concrete with square columns and a small tower in the centre. On the side of the building are two flag poles, one with a Canadian flag and one with the flag of Ontario. Getty Images
All four accused are current or former engineering students at Western University in London, Ontario, where they are now facing charges.

Four Canadian engineering students have been arrested, suspected of possessing explosives and firearms, though police say their motives are unclear as they continue to investigate.

The students, all in their 20s, attended Western University in London, Ontario and were arrested after one of them allegedly trespassed on campus.

Police said they later recovered a loaded handgun and bomb-making chemicals at residences of the accused in London, as well as in Ottawa and Gatineau, Quebec.

A YouTube video, appearing to show at least one of the suspects surfaced, seeks funding to develop an anti-drone weapons system, raising more questions about their intent.

Authorities in London confirmed on Friday that they are aware of the video and that it is part of their investigation. They would not speculate, however, on any possible motives.

"Criminal offenses were committed," Supt Sean Travis with the London Police Service said, regardless of the intent.

He added authorities are considering all aspects, including whether this is "a national security threat" or a "hobbyist" sharing information on YouTube. Police said it is not a terrorism or national security investigation at this point.

The accused are 27-year-old Jerry Tong, 25-year-old Fei (Frank) Han, 26-year-old Zekun Wang and 21-year-old Feiyang (Astrid) Ji. Tong lives in Ottawa, police said, while the other three live in London, Ontario.

All four are attending or had attended Western University at some point.

They are facing a mix of charges related to possessing a firearm, careless storage of a firearm and manufacturing a weapon. Tong and Wang also were charged with unlawful possession of explosives.

The video, posted under Tong's name three months ago, appears to show Tong pitching a start-up called MORSLAB for a "mobile and low-cost system" capable of shooting down unmanned drones.

It also features a second man who identifies himself as Frank Han, and a third man who identifies himself as Alex Wang. All three men say they are graduates of engineering programmes at Western University.

In the video, they describe their product as meeting "military demand" for Canada and the Nato alliance, and say it is expected to be fully operational by August 2026.

It shows a digital rendition of a device mounted on the back of a pick-up truck, as well as footage of the physical device in development.

The start-up has capabilities for design, prototyping and fabrication, as well as a chemical lab on site, according to the video.

London police would not specify the types or number of firearms seized from the suspects, only that there were "several".

All four remain in custody, with pending bail hearings for Han and Tong in the coming weeks.