• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Frenchman arrested in Ukraine, was plotting 15 terror attacks during Euro 2016

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

Spring Drive

Banned
Euro 2016: 'Frenchman was plotting 15 terror attacks'

Authorities in Ukraine say they have helped to thwart some "15 terrorist attacks" in France that were to be carried out in the run up to and during Euro 2016, by a sympathizer of the extreme right.

The statement came a day after it was announced that a Frenchman was arrested on the Ukraine Poland border on May 21st with an arsenal of weapons in his car, including rocket launchers and Kalashnikovs.

According to the head of Ukrainian security services (SBU) the Frenchman, aged 25, who had been named as Guillaume M, had intended to attack places of Muslim and Jewish worship as well as public buildings in France.

"The SBU was able to prevent fifteen terrorist acts that were planned in France on the eve of and during the European Championship football," said Vasyl Grytsak, the head of the Ukrainian security services on Monday.

Grytsak said the man from eastern France intended to blow up "a Muslim mosque, a Jewish synagogue, tax collection organisations, police patrol units and numerous other locations."

"He obtained five Kalashnikov rifles, more than 5,000 bullets, two anti-tank grenade launchers, 125 kilogrammes (275 pounds) of TNT, 100 detonators, 20 balaclavas and other things."

According to reports in France the farm cooperative worker may have had links to extreme right wing groups. He was against France's policy of allowing in migrants, the spread of Islam and globalisation" read a report in BFMTV.

A day after his arrest in Ukraine, authorities in Moselle, eastern France where Gregoire M is from, opened up an investigation in the arms trafficking.

A raid was carried out at his home in Nant-le-Petit where officers found a t-shirt bearing the name of an extreme right wing group as well as several elements used in making explosives.

France has remained on high alert since the terror attacks of November in Paris, when jihadist gunmen and bombers killed 130 people.

With the month-long Euro 2016 tournament kicking off on Friday the government are to mobilize some 9,000 police and security personnel in a bid to maintain maximum security.

On Sunday president François Hollande acknowledged there was a threat of an attack during the Euro 2016 football championship but said the country must not be intimidated.

He also issued an appeal for a halt to transport strikes that threaten to disrupt the month-long football extravaganza opening on Friday.

"This (attack) threat exists," he told public radio France Inter. "But we must not be daunted.

"We must do everything to ensure that the Euro 2016 is a success."

The United States warned last week of the risk of attacks, with the French stadiums hosting the matches but also the so-called fan zones where spectators will be gathering in large numbers potential targets.
Click to expand...
http://www.thelocal.fr/20160606/wave-of-euro-2016-attacks-in-france-foiled-ukraine
 
L

Lilalaunebaer

Member
"He obtained five Kalashnikov rifles, more than 5,000 bullets, two anti-tank grenade launchers, 125 kilogrammes (275 pounds) of TNT, 100 detonators, 20 balaclavas and other things."
Click to expand...

Damn, dude got an arsenal.

Good thing they got him.
 
W

Wind's Howling

Member
I sincerely hope this year's European Championship will not evolve into a clusterfuck of people being wrongfully accused, being grounded at the gate or becoming the perfect opportunity for terrorists to strike (and succeed).

France has been through enough.
 
S

Spring Drive

Banned
Pics:

_89892112_89892111.jpg


The SBU showed pictures of the arms haul found when the French suspect was arrested on 21 May

_89892108_0d456136-88c6-4ebb-8c30-ac71aa55e295.jpg


An SBU video showed the moment of arrest on the border with Poland

Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36460569

King Tubby said:
How the hell did he acquire anti-tank launchers?
Click to expand...

In Eastern Europe you can buy an actual tank if you've got the money
 
Alx

Alx

Member
King Tubby said:
How the hell did he acquire anti-tank launchers?
Click to expand...

Black market in countries with military unrest (apparently Ukraine in this case).
For reference Kalashnikovs were a rare sight in Europe until the events in Yugoslavia, after which they became quite common in all sorts of criminal activity.
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
eravulgaris said:
Good. I really hope nothing happens during Euro 2016... It's sad that we have to fear this stuff in 2016.
Click to expand...

Stop using the year as an argument for anything. There's people who have to die of hunger in 2016. Women are beaten and treated like sub-human filth in 2016. There's people being killed because they don't believe stuff in a book in 2016. The year doesn't matter. It never does.

I just find the "fuck 2016" and "damnit 2016" and "it's 2016!" Rhetoric so lazy.

-----

On topic though, damn I wonder who was supplying this guy. I can't imagine he'd afford all of this stuff on his own or ever think he could use it all himself. The quantity of balaclavas reflects this, but that's a lot of ammo, explosives and detonators. More than what a small group would even use.
 
S

Snarfington

Member
I'm in the Paris area visiting Disneyland in a couple of weeks and stuff like this makes me a little nervous. I'm sure it will be fine, though - security agencies seem to have stepped up their game throughout Europe recently and, at the very least, I'll be a decent distance from any of the football. Best wishes to anyone going to the tournament, have a good time - and stay safe.

On the bright side, each bad egg they catch makes us all a little safer. Good job guys.
 
Alx

Alx

Member
Bay Maximus said:
Why do they always attack the tax places? "By the way, fuck you guys too!"
Click to expand...

Gives you an idea of how deep their line of thought is. "I don't like this, let's attack them". Some young people in poor French suburbs also make it a habit of throwing stones at firemen and ambulances, for whatever reason.
Many of those young people opinions are fueled by ignorance, too. According to le Monde, this guy (it's Grégoire, not Guillaume) lives in a town of 80 habitants. Like he would suffer from immigration... such towns could actually benefit from a few more people settling there.
 
E

Ether_Snake

安安安安安安安安安安安安安安安
He was arrested with someone else, chances are he isn't alone, the more excess weapons he has the more likely he is to be arrested.
 
H

Hjod

Banned
The French police are going to be looking closely at his friends and the people in the same right-wing group. More arrests will probably be coming.
 
J

Jokab

Member
Going to four games at the euros, all on "low-risk targets" though as I support Sweden. But will be spending four days in Paris. A bit scared but not gonna let it stop me.
 
A

astroturfing

Member
terrifying.

i can't help but think it's only a matter of weeks or months that there will be another horrifying terror attack, so bad that it makes me depressed for the foreseeable future :/ the Paris attacks still haunt my mind.. people like me just having fun and watching a band play and suddenly without warning just get massacred brutally by monstrous inhuman psychopaths. absolutely mind-shatteringly terrifying.

i can't take this shit to be honest. too much.
 
S

Spring Drive

Banned
Snarfington said:
I'm in the Paris area visiting Disneyland in a couple of weeks and stuff like this makes me a little nervous. I'm sure it will be fine, though - security agencies seem to have stepped up their game throughout Europe recently and, at the very least, I'll be a decent distance from any of the football. Best wishes to anyone going to the tournament, have a good time - and stay safe.

On the bright side, each bad egg they catch makes us all a little safer. Good job guys.
Click to expand...

Well, the US government did warn tourists going to France

astroturfing said:
i can't help but think it's only a matter of weeks or months that there will be another horrifying terror attack, so bad that it makes me depressed for the foreseeable future :/

i can't take this shit to be honest. too much.
Click to expand...
Almost certainly. It's not a matter of if, but when
 
H

hom3land

Member
Going to the first knock out stage game in lyon. Hope nothing happens. Really not thinking to much about it though. Either something happens or doesnt. Can't live your life in fear.
 
N

Nomadic Sparks

Banned
What was the point of this dude's planned senseless slaughter supposed to make?

I think this dude just had psychotic break and wanted to kill as many people as he thought he could.
 
S

Spring Drive

Banned
Nomadic Sparks said:
What was the point of this dude's planned senseless slaughter supposed to make?

I think this dude just had psychotic break and wanted to kill as many people as he thought he could.
Click to expand...
I just googled psychotic break. How do you plan such a large-scale attack during one?

Dude seems to know what he was doing, not unlike Breivik
 
Deft Beck

Deft Beck

Member
Well, it's good that they caught him. I wouldn't worry about going to the games in person, unless the police say that there's a heightened risk. That's how terrorists operate, on fear. Don't give into it.
 
P

Palette Swap

Member
Deft Beck said:
Well, it's good that they caught him. I wouldn't worry about going to the games in person, unless the police say that there's a heightened risk. That's how terrorists operate, on fear. Don't give into it.
Click to expand...
As an aside, I'd say a game is a pretty safe place to be. I mean, back in November they did try to blow themselves up at a game and were pushed back by security, so that stadium security works. These fan zones they're setting up are a huge safety concern though.

God, I hope I'm not going to regret these words in the coming weeks.
 
S

Skellig Gra

Member
Planning an attack on a major event is just plain stupid. This is the exact time everyone is expecting an attack and security is beefed up everywhere.
 
B

Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
What's with terrorists always wanting to blow something up in France? I mean, what is this country doing that makes these people hate it so much, compared to other western countries?
 
guggnichso

guggnichso

Banned
I sincerely hope they find whoever else might be involved in those planned attacks. The sheer amount of weapons suggest more perpetrators are planned to be involved.

Also I don't want to look at police forces with machine guns when attending a game of football here :-/
 
S

Skellig Gra

Member
Bisnic said:
What's with terrorists always wanting to blow something up in France? I mean, what is this country doing that makes these people hate it so much, compared to other western countries?
Click to expand...

It's a complex issue obviously but the French government didn't do itself any favors by banning burqa/hijabs awhile back.
 
guggnichso

guggnichso

Banned
Bisnic said:
What's with terrorists always wanting to blow something up in France? I mean, what is this country doing that makes these people hate it so much, compared to other western countries?
Click to expand...

There is rarely a logical reason for domestic terrorism.
 
F

Funky Papa

FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Bisnic said:
What's with terrorists always wanting to blow something up in France? I mean, what is this country doing that makes these people hate it so much, compared to other western countries?
Click to expand...

France is a former empire with a lot of sway in Africa and a large number of muslim citizens, some of them highly radicalized and/or living in poverty with all that comes with it. Violent assholes from both sides of the spectrum take exception/want to use that as a tool.
 
S

Spring Drive

Banned
Bisnic said:
What's with terrorists always wanting to blow something up in France? I mean, what is this country doing that makes these people hate it so much, compared to other western countries?
Click to expand...

It's in the OP :/

If you were talking about islamists, well, France bombed Syria and Iraq, lately

Hollywood Duo said:
It's a complex issue obviously but the French government didn't do itself any favors by banning burqa/hijabs awhile back.
Click to expand...
Also this

30yearsofhurt said:
How does someone so young get so fucked up. It almost sounds like he was gonna go all GTA IRL.
Click to expand...

Young people are full of rage and are more likely to escape their shitty life through violence. Older people are generally wiser and know it's fucking stupid (and in case the older people are islamists themselves, they let the younger ones do the dirty work)
 
guggnichso

guggnichso

Banned
Funky Papa said:
France is a former empire with a lot of sway in Africa and a large number of muslim citizens. Violent assholes from both sides of the spectrum take exception/want to use that as a tool.
Click to expand...

Looking at him also wanting to blow up synagogues, he's probably one of those alt right european Neo Nazis that really just want to kill everything they do not understand. And of course, those guys sincerely belive the jews let in the muslims to "muddy aryan blood". Damn scary alt right subculture in europe that is on the rise since the beginning of the refugee crisis.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

  • Locked
Some stories of recent anti-catholic violence and threats?
28
3K
rivv3r replied
  • Locked
A German soldier suspected of planning a terror attack on refugees has been arrested
12
4K
NEO0MJ replied
  • Locked
Ukraine hit by 6,500 hack attacks in the past two months, sees Russian 'cyberwar'
18
4K
blackjaw replied
  • Locked
Russia accuses Ukraine of terrorism; may be pretext to invade
32
6K
Fox_Mulder replied
3 nazis arrested in Sweden for bomb attacks, 2 got military training in Russia
2
60
16K
Paganmoon replied
Top Bottom