Three men remanded in custody in France for alleged Islamic State departure plan and threats against Jewish community
Three men were placed under investigation and remanded in custody overnight Friday to Saturday, suspected of preparing a departure towards IS and an attack targeting Jews.
Counter-terrorism arrests: three suspects remanded in custody following investigation into jihadist WhatsApp group
Three men were placed under investigation and remanded in custody overnight Friday to Saturday, suspected of preparing a departure towards the Islamic State organisation in Africa "and/or a project for violent action targeting the Jewish community", TF1 Info reported, having obtained confirmation from the national counter-terrorism prosecution office (Pnat). No details were provided regarding the intended targets.
The investigation, entrusted to the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), had begun in early July, focusing on the "jihadist activities of members of a WhatsApp group called 'soldiers of Allah'", according to the Pnat. The investigations led to the apprehension and placing in police custody of the three men on Tuesday. On Friday 4 September, the Pnat opened a judicial investigation for terrorist criminal association, resulting in the appointment of an investigating judge.
One of the three suspects is believed to maintain links with Jessica Bowie, a 35-year-old American, converted to Islam five years ago, suspected of having prepared a bomb attack on the New York State Parliament building for the benefit of the Islamic State. She was arrested in August in the United States. "There is a link between one of the referred individuals and a woman apprehended by the FBI in the United States", a source close to the case confirmed to Agence France-Presse, information also reported by RTL.
According to the American prosecution, Bowie had disclosed her intentions to an FBI informant, who helped her obtain a weapon and components intended for the fabrication of an explosive device. She had moreover surveyed the location on several occasions. She faces a maximum sentence of twenty years' imprisonment.
Source: TF1 Info