French police have arrested a Russian man suspected of plotting acts of 'destabilisation' during the Paris Olympics.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that the man, born in 1984, was held in custody and placed under judicial investigation on suspicion of "organising events likely to lead to destabilisation during the Olympic Games".
An investigation has reportedly been opened into "passing intelligence to a foreign power in order to arouse hostilities in France", adding that the crime was punishable by up to 30 years in jail.
Prosecutors said a visit to the man's home – at the request of the interior ministry – had uncovered evidence of the suspected plans.
They did not give any details of the alleged plot, except to say that it was not terrorist in nature, and that specialist anti-terrorist prosecutors were not following the case.
'Access denied'
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told Paris Match magazine on Tuesday that the authorities have investigated over a million people, including athletes, coaches, journalists, volunteers, security guards and even local residents near event locations ahead of the Olympics.
Of those, 4,360 were denied access to the Games, with people close to Darmanin saying some 880 were barred over suspicions of foreign interference.
In recent months, several high-profile stunts have raised suspicion that foreign actors are trying to influence French public opinion or stoke divisions, notably about Russia's invasion of Ukraine or Israel's campaign in Gaza after the 7 October attack by Hamas.
They include dummy coffins labelled "French soldiers in Ukraine" left by the Eiffel Tower in June and red hands tagged on Paris's main Holocaust memorial in May.
In October, soon after Hamas's attack, Stars of David were tagged on buildings in the Paris region, with two Moldovans suspected to be working for the Russian FSB security service later arrested.
(with newswires)
