French nationalist armed to the teeth planned Euro 2016 attacks
- 8 years ago
KIEV, UKRAINE — A French nationalist detained in Ukraine with a huge arms cache planned a series of terrorist attacks at the Euro 2016 soccer championship, according to Ukrainian security services.
Suspect Gregoire Moutaux, a 25-year-old farmer from the French region of Lorraine, was arrested in a sting operation by Ukrainian security services when he attempted to cross into Poland on May 21, the BBC reported.
Ukraine’s SBU security service said Moutaux travelled to the war-torn east of the country to buy arms before his arrest in the town of Yahodyn near the Polish border, according to the BBC.
Moutaux allegedly bought an arsenal of weapons, which included five AK-47 rifles with 5,000 bullets, 125 kilos of TNT and 100 detonators, plus two RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launchers with 18 rounds. He also had 20 balaclavas.
The SBU said police patrols were among 15 targets Moutaux planned to attack during Euro 2016. Other targets allegedly included mosques, synagogues, tax offices, motorways and bridges.
The SBU said Moutaux planned the attacks as a protest against immigration, the spread of Islam and globalization, the BBC reported.
However, French police said there was no specific threat against Euro 2016, which kicks off on June 10, according to the BBC.
The French investigation into Moutaux has so far been handled by a unit that looks into organised crime rather than anti-terror specialists, which suggests French police initially suspected Moutaux of arms trafficking rather than terrorism, according to the BBC.
Suspect Gregoire Moutaux, a 25-year-old farmer from the French region of Lorraine, was arrested in a sting operation by Ukrainian security services when he attempted to cross into Poland on May 21, the BBC reported.
Ukraine’s SBU security service said Moutaux travelled to the war-torn east of the country to buy arms before his arrest in the town of Yahodyn near the Polish border, according to the BBC.
Moutaux allegedly bought an arsenal of weapons, which included five AK-47 rifles with 5,000 bullets, 125 kilos of TNT and 100 detonators, plus two RPG-7 anti-tank grenade launchers with 18 rounds. He also had 20 balaclavas.
The SBU said police patrols were among 15 targets Moutaux planned to attack during Euro 2016. Other targets allegedly included mosques, synagogues, tax offices, motorways and bridges.
The SBU said Moutaux planned the attacks as a protest against immigration, the spread of Islam and globalization, the BBC reported.
However, French police said there was no specific threat against Euro 2016, which kicks off on June 10, according to the BBC.
The French investigation into Moutaux has so far been handled by a unit that looks into organised crime rather than anti-terror specialists, which suggests French police initially suspected Moutaux of arms trafficking rather than terrorism, according to the BBC.