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A gang-linked inmate in pretrial custody told police last December that his cell-mate, Othman Hamdan, had threatened to “blow up” RCMP headquarters in Surrey, an immigration hearing was told Monday.

Vancouver Police Detective Trevor Fraser said he was interviewing the inmate at North Fraser Pretrial Centre about an unrelated case when the man disclosed information about Hamdan — his roommate in segregation.

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Fraser testified before Immigration and Refugee Board member Trent Cook that he didn’t know at that time who Hamdan was, but later learned about the RCMP terrorism investigation into the former Fort St. John resident.

Fraser said the gang inmate told him Hamdan was angry with the work RCMP translators did while investigating pro-Islamic State writings that Hamdan had posted to Facebook.

That was why Hamdan allegedly wanted to attack RCMP headquarters, Fraser said.

He said the inmate also disclosed that Hamdan had given him a USB stick with images of ISIS beheadings on it. The man offered the device to Fraser, who didn’t think he had legal grounds to seize it once he learned it was part of the criminal case against Hamdan.