Champs Elysees attacker had been in Turkey and had huge arsenal of weapons - prosecutor

Record ID: 896613

  • Title: Champs Elysees attacker had been in Turkey and had huge arsenal of weapons - prosecutor
  • Date: 22nd June 2017
  • Summary: FORENSIC POLICE SURROUNDING CAR PARIS, FRANCE (JUNE 22, 2017) (REUTERS) PARIS PROSECUTOR FRANCOIS MOLINS ARRIVING FOR STATEMENT JOURNALISTS WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE TO BEGIN (SOUNDBITE) (French) PARIS PROSECUTOR FRANCOIS MOLINS SAYING: "It also appears that he (Champs Elysees attacker) went to Turkey several times, three to be precise during the year 2016. That is what led to his questioning on January 20, 2016 while leaving Paris, at the departure of a flight to Istanbul, where he told police that he was travelling within the framework of his professional activity of jewellery dealing."
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2017 15:45
  • Keywords: Francois Molins France Champs Elysees Turkey
  • Location: PARIS, FRANCE
  • City: PARIS, FRANCE
  • Country: France
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice
  • Reuters ID: LVA0036MD1WLJ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:The man behind this week's attempted attack in Paris' Champs Elysees avenue had been to Turkey several times in 2016 where authorities questioned him over large amounts of gold and jewellery in his possession, and he had a huge arsenal of weapons, said the Paris prosecutor on Thursday (June 22).
    Paris public prosecutor Francois Molins told a news conference that the attacker - whom he named as French national "Adam D" - had also wanted to go to Syria and had pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
    On June 19, the individual had rammed a car carrying weapons and explosives into a police van as it drove in a convoy down Paris's Champs Elysees, and subsequently died.
    Molins said authorities had not yet identified the nature of orange smoke coming out of the car after the attack. In his car were an assault rifle, two pistols, ammunition and two large gas canisters, authorities had previously said.
    Adam D was married to a Tunisian and had two children, added Molins.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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