VANCOUVER – A man and woman from B.C. have been arrested and charged in a terror plot targeting the B.C. legislature in Victoria on Canada Day.

RCMP allege John Stewart Nuttall, in his late 30s, and Amanda Marie Korody, in her late 20s, both from Surrey, B.C., built explosive devices they planned to detonate at the provincial parliament buildings as part of an attack inspired by al-Qaida ideology.

They were arrested in Abbotsford, B.C., Monday afternoon and face charges of facilitating terrorist activity, possession of an explosive device and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.

At least three devices were built from pressure cookers filled with rusty nails, washers, nuts and bolts.

“This self-radicalized behaviour was intended to create maximum impact and harm to Canadian citizens at the B.C. legislature on a national holiday,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Wayne Rideout said.

He added police were in “tight control” of the bombs as they were being constructed and the public was never at risk of being harmed by the “inert” devices.

The Mounties said the suspects trained themselves how to build weapons and had considered numerous methods and targets.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner James Malizia said investigators began monitoring Nuttall and Korody in February based on information provided by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. They are both Canadian citizens who did not have contact with international terrorists, Malizia said.

Malizia added there was no evidence the pressure-cooker explosives were linked to the Boston Marathon attack, despite similar appearances.

However, A terrorism expert said it's likely the duo were converts to radical Islam and coached in the alleged plot.

“This idea of self-radicalizing is very interesting,” Simon Fraser University professor Andre Gerolymatos told QMI Agency from Athens, Greece. “Most experts do not believe that an individual could get on the Internet and, following various jihadist websites, become a terrorist. It takes more than that. There has to be someone who’s going to take you down this path. Some individual or individuals.”

He added the bombs were designed to kill people and not damage buildings.

These kinds of bombs are what have been used in Afghanistan and Iraq by al-Qaida and by the Taliban,” Gerolymatos said.

Nuttall has an extensive criminal record going back nearly two decades and has previously been convicted of robbery, assault and possession of a dangerous weapon. All those crimes took place in Victoria.

Nuttall and Korody remain in custody are expected to appear before a judge next week.

- With files from Luke Brocki