Louvre Security in Focus After French Arrest in Alleged Terror Plot
French authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Tunisian man in connection with an alleged terrorist conspiracy that investigators say may have involved the Louvre in Paris. The suspect, identified as Dhafer M. was brought before an anti-terrorism judge on Monday after the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office said the case concerns a plot “in preparation for crimes against persons” and an action inspired by jihadist ideology.
According to Le Monde, investigators believe the possible target was either the Louvre or another site that would have affected the Jewish community in Paris’s 16th arrondissement. The paper reported that no precise target had been selected.
The inquiry began in late April, when Dhafer M. was stopped in central Paris for driving with a fake license. He was later found to lack the proper documents to remain in France and was released nine days after the traffic stop while he appealed deportation proceedings.
Between that release and his arrest on May 7, investigators said they found jihadist propaganda videos on his phone, along with hundreds of photos of firearms and knives. They also said he searched ChatGPT for information on how to make a bomb and related topics.
Authorities further told Le Monde that Dhafer M. allegedly messaged foreign contacts about the planned attacks. In one conversation, he reportedly said he knew access points leading to the Louvre and discussed making explosives he could plant at the museum. Another message allegedly referred to making ricin and to his desire to attack Jews in the 16th arrondissement.
Dhafer M. has denied planning any terrorist attack. The case places one of the world’s most visited museums back at the center of a security conversation that extends well beyond the art world, touching on public safety, urban vulnerability, and the pressures facing major cultural institutions in Paris.
