French authorities arrested a 27-year-old Tunisian man last Thursday for allegedly planning a terrorist attack at the Louvre in Paris. The news was confirmed by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) and first reported by Le Monde.
The arrest was made as part of an investigation into the man’s “participation in a terrorist conspiracy in preparation for crimes against persons” and that he planned “an action inspired by jihadist ideology,” PNAT told Le Monde.
The investigation’s findings pointed toward an alleged planned attack at either the Louvre or a site that would’ve impacted the Jewish community in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, per Le Monde, which added that “no precise target had been selected.”
According to Le Monde, the investigation began in late April when the man, identified as Dhafer M., was arrested in central Paris for driving with a fake license. He was then found to not have the proper documents for residency in France. He was released nine days after the traffic stop as he sought to appeal deportation proceedings.
Between his release and his arrest on May 7, investigators found that “a search of his cell phone revealed numerous jihadist propaganda videos and hundreds of photos of firearms and knives,” the paper reports. Authorities also found that he had searched “how to make a bomb” and other related queries on ChatGPT.
Investigators also told Le Monde that Dhafer M. allegedly messaged foreign contacts about his plans for the attacks, with one conversation allegedly stating that he “claimed to know access points that lead to the Louvre and discussed making explosives he could plant at the museum,” according to the paper. Another conversation said he planned to make the poison ricin, as well as mentioning “his desire to attack Jews in the 16th arrondissement.”
The man was brought before an anti-terrorism judge on Monday in order to be formally charged. Dhafer M. has denied any plans for a terrorist attack.
