France’s anti-terror unit PNAT announced Saturday that three individuals have been taken into custody in connection with an investigation linked to Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving perpetrator of the 2015 Bataclan attacks.
Abdeslam, currently imprisoned in the high-security part of the Vendin-le-Vieil prison in northern France, was briefly questioned last week over the alleged illicit possession of a USB memory stick while in prison. Authorities said the probe has now been expanded to include charges of terrorist conspiracy aimed at preparing attacks against individuals.
The anti-terror prosecutor said Abdeslam is suspected of concealing prohibited items and was taken into custody again on Friday after an initial detention on Tuesday. Another person was also detained on Tuesday, with their custody extended beyond the standard 96 hours by an additional 24 hours. Under French law, extensions of this kind are allowed in cases of imminent terrorist threats or urgent international cooperation and require judicial approval.
RTL radio reported that the second individual detained is Abdeslam’s partner, identified by Le Parisien as Maeva B., 27. She reportedly maintained long-standing correspondence with Abdeslam before being permitted in-person meetings. PNAT said she is in custody for receiving prohibited items for a detainee and for criminal terrorist conspiracy.
“Two other individuals were taken into custody on Friday on charges of criminal terrorist conspiracy,” PNAT added, noting their detention is ongoing.
A prison union source told AFP that a USB stick had been connected to Abdeslam’s computer, which he was allowed to use under strict restrictions for attending classes. The stick, reportedly used to transfer jihadist propaganda, was not recovered despite searches, the source said. Abdeslam is subject to heightened monitoring, including frequent cell changes and systematic inspections of his belongings.
France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor Olivier Christen told AFP that the jihadist threat has been “increasing” over the past three years.
Abdeslam was a key logistician and participant in the coordinated November 13, 2015, attacks that killed 130 people and injured hundreds across Paris. He was also involved in the planning and preparation phase of the 2016 Brussels attacks that killed 32 and injured hundreds. Both attacks were carried out by the same Belgo-French ISIS network centered in Brussels’ Molenbeek district.
