A 36-year-old man has been placed in pretrial detention as part of a counter-terrorism investigation opened after the discovery of a planned violent attack in northern France. Two 16-year-old teenagers had already been prosecuted in this case since February 2026.
According to the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office, one of the minors admitted to having considered a violent attack targeting, in particular, a shopping center or a concert hall. Investigators also mentioned a fascination with jihadist figures and exchanges linked to violent radicalization.
Investigators traced the crime back to a Telegram group
The investigations carried out by the counter-terrorism services focused in particular on conversations exchanged within a Telegram group. Investigators reportedly used these conversations to trace them back to the man in his thirties, who was arrested in southwestern France.
According to several sources close to the case, investigations into his online activity have revealed a "disturbing profile", particularly through certain conversations and searches for videos viewed on the internet.
Two other people were also arrested and taken into custody by the General Directorate for Internal Security, before finally being released at this stage of the procedure.
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