News of an alleged plot to plant pressure-cooker bombs near the British Columbia legislature on Canada Day stunned Victoria residents and people across the country Tuesday.

Here is a recap of some recent terrorism-related investigations involving Canadian residents:

Via Rail terror plot

In April, the RCMP arrested two men in connection with an alleged plot to derail a passenger train on the busy Via Rail route linking Toronto and New York City.

Chiheb Esseghaier, a 30-year-old Montreal resident, and Raed Jaser, a 35-year-old from the Toronto area, face charges of conspiracy to commit murder, participating in a terrorist organization and conspiracy to interfere with transportation facilities.

Esseghaier is also charged with one count of having directed a person to carry out a terrorist activity.

Neither man is a Canadian citizen.

The RCMP alleged the two men received “guidance” from al Qaeda in Iran, but said the plot was not state-sponsored.

Tunisian-born Esseghaier was a PhD student in Quebec who had travelled to Iran within the past two years. He has said that he wants to be judged in court by the Qur'an, not the Criminal Code.

A third man, Ahmed Abassi, was arrested in the U.S. and faces terrorism charges there. Prosecutors allege that Abassi “radicalized” Esseghaier. 

Project Samossa

Three Ontario men were arrested in August 2010 and accused of terror-related activities as part of so-called Project Samossa.

Misbahuddin Ahmed and Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh of Ottawa, and Khurram Syed Sher, of London, Ont., were all charged with conspiring to facilitate terrorist activity.

In addition, Alizadeh and Ahmed were charged with making or having explosives and participating in the activities of a terrorist group.

Police said the suspects’ alleged plot reached Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Dubai, but did not release any details.

Sher and Ahmed are out on bail, while Alizadeh remains in custody.

Ahmed worked as an X-ray technician at an Ottawa hospital and Sher was a doctor of pathology. Alizadeh had studied electrical engineering technology at Red River College in Winnipeg.

Hezbollah link

A Quebec woman was arrested in May 2011 at Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport for allegedly trying to smuggle parts for an AR-15 rifle in her luggage.

The RCMP allege Mouna Diab illegally exported weapons to the Hezbollah in Lebanon, a group Ottawa considers to be a terrorist organization.

Diab was also charged with committing an offence for a terrorist group.

With files from The Canadian Press