Russian arrested for conspiracy to 'destabilize' Paris Olympics

(Patria) - French police on Tuesday arrested a Russian suspected of planning acts of "destabilization" during the Paris Olympic Games, prosecutors said, AFP reported.

The man, born in 1984, was taken into custody and placed under judicial investigation on suspicion of "organizing events that could lead to destabilization during the Olympic Games," a source in the state prosecutor's office, who requested anonymity, told AFP.

The source said an investigation was launched into "the transmission of intelligence to a foreign power to provoke hostilities in France," adding that the penalty for this is up to thirty years in prison.

Prosecutors said that a search of the man's home "at the request of the Ministry of the Interior" revealed evidence of suspicious plans. They did not provide any details about the alleged conspiracy, other than to say it was not terrorist in nature, and that specialized anti-terrorism prosecutors are not following the case.

Authorities have investigated more than one million people, including athletes, coaches, journalists, volunteers, security guards, and even local residents near event venues ahead of the Olympic Games, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told the weekly Paris Match on Tuesday.

Of these, 4,360 people have been denied access to the Games, and people close to Darmanin told AFP on Sunday that 880 have been banned due to suspected foreign interference.