A chef who has taken part in several reality and cooking TV shows in Russia has been arrested over a plot to ‘destabilse’ the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The 40-year-old man was detained on Tuesday after police raided his home after a request of the French Interior Ministry.
Evidence found at his home raised ‘fears of his intention to organise events likely to cause destabilization during the Olympic Games’, a statement from the office of the prosecutor said.
No details were shared about this plot. Authorities confirmed it was not related to terrorism and that specialised anti-terrorism prosecutors were not handling the case.
According to Le Monde, an investigation into the man’s activities began in May after his phone conversation with Russian intelligence services was overheard in a restaurant.
It is alleged that he told the person on the other end of the line: ‘The French are going to have an opening ceremony like there has never been before.’
His identity has not yet been released, but it was reported that he is a chef who trained in a Parisian culinary school.
He claims to work as a ‘private chef’ and posts cooking tutorials on social media, it is alleged.
The suspect is followed by a few thousand followers, mainly Russian, who have been following him since his television career.
Relations between France and Russia have been deteriorating for months over the bloodshed in Ukraine.
President Emmanuel Macron is a prominent critic of Vladimir Putin’s invasion and a strong supporter of the Ukrainian government.
French authorities have repeatedly flagged suspected Russian disinformation campaigns, while Russia has arrested a French researcher in the country on espionage charges.
The arrested man has been placed in pre-trial detention and could face up to 30 years in prison, the statement said.
Russia’s embassy in Paris said it had not received any official notification of the detention.
‘We proactively asked them for clarification. We will seek a reaction,’ it said in a statement.
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