On suspicion of planning an imminent terrorist attack with a knife, an 18-year-old man was arrested in Drôme by investigators from the Directorate General of Internal Security (DGSI) before being charged and remanded in custody in Paris on Tuesday, Le Figaro reported on Wednesday May 25. The initial investigation findings, confirmed by the suspect’s statements in police custody, showed that he was planning a terrorist act “on behalf of the Islamic State organisation to which he had sworn allegiance”, a judicial source told the national daily. Among other things, a video was discovered in his possession in which the young man pledged allegiance to the terrorist organisation.
In view of a possible imminent attack by the 18-year-old, the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) had already opened a preliminary investigation on May 19 for “terrorist association of criminals in preparation of one or more crimes against persons”.
The young man is a Muslim and has gone through a phase of radicalisation, the conditions of which, however, were not explained in detail. His possible targets were also not disclosed.