French authorities have detained three suspects after thwarting an attempted bombing early Saturday morning at the Bank of America Corp. (NYSE:BAC) offices in the heart of Paris.
Plot Intercepted
The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. local time on March 28, in the city’s 8th arrondissement, just streets away from the Champs-Élysées, according to a CNBC report.
A police patrol assigned to protect sensitive sites intercepted two individuals placing an improvised explosive device outside the U.S. bank.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said officers arrested one suspect—a minor—at the scene, while the second individual initially fled. Authorities later announced that two additional suspects were taken into police custody Saturday night as the anti-terrorism investigation rapidly expanded.
Lethal Device
The rapid police intervention prevented a potentially deadly blast. According to Nunez, the foiled attack involved a highly dangerous, albeit rudimentary, weapon.
“One individual was trying to light an improvised explosive device made with a container likely containing hydrocarbons and a crude ignition system, while another was filming,” Nunez told BFM TV, confirming the device could have been lethal had officers not prevented its ignition.
The country’s anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has launched a formal investigation into the attempted destruction by fire or other dangerous means, as well as the manufacture, possession, and transport of an explosive device.
In a statement to Reuters, the office confirmed the latest arrests: “Two further individuals were taken into police custody last night as part of the investigation launched on March 28 into the offences committed against Bank of America.”
Suspicions Of Proxy Networks
As investigators, including the Paris police judicial unit and France’s domestic intelligence agency, probe the motive, suspicions are pointing toward international proxy networks.
Nunez described the attackers as “common-law” offenders acting as paid intermediaries. While the Iranian embassy declined to comment, Nunez noted similarities with recent attacks targeting U.S. interests in the Netherlands, Belgium, Britain, and Norway.
“In this type of conflict, you have a number of Iranian services that are likely to carry out actions such as these through proxies,” Nunez stated. “There is a significant suspicion, but it is for the investigation to determine.”
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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