In the town of Arenthon in the French department of Haute-Savoie, an unexpected discovery led to the disturbing profile of a young man. A barrel containing “chemicals, a gas cylinder, incendiary and retardant materials and detonators” was discovered in a wooded area, a police source told Le Figaro newspaper. Material that could enable the construction of explosive devices. Investigators arrested a 22-year-old unemployed man whose home is near where the explosives were found.
In police custody, the suspect denied any criminal intent. Instead, he allows police to locate the sites of “several dozen” other metal drums containing dangerous substances. The suspect is charged on June 3 with “criminal terrorist organisation” and “possession of substances and components that are used in the composition of explosive devices in connection with a terrorist project”.
When investigators try to find out more about the suspect, they discover that the 22-year-old has already been known to the police since August 2020. The unemployed man was arrested after he refused a check in Switzerland. His flat was searched by specialists in radiological and chemical risks, among others. Dangerous products that could be used to manufacture explosive devices were discovered. An investigation was launched at the local level, but due to a lack of conclusive evidence, the case was not forwarded to the anti-terrorism police.
The suspect is reported to be a loner and has an unusual background. In his youth, he is said to have committed no less than five arsons and to have a “fascination for mass murders”. The man of “Arab-Muslim origin” had ” planned to go to Syria”, a source familiar with the case told Le Figaro. Notes from the suspect would show very anti-capitalist statements and a willingness to commit acts of violence in the name of a “revolutionary socialist” ideology.