Weapons in a car in Sarcelles: 6 men referred for common law offenses

French authorities are pursuing an investigation into six individuals following an alert about a potential Islamist terrorist attack targeting a synagogue in Sarcelles.

The national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office (PNAT) announced that the six were presented for prosecution on Saturday, with requests for their indictment on common law charges. These charges include organized receipt of stolen goods, organized theft, criminal conspiracy for the preparation of a crime, and the acquisition, possession, transport, and sale of Category A and B weapons within a group, as well as conspiracy for the preparation of a felony punishable by 10 years imprisonment.

The investigation began after France's domestic intelligence agency, the DGSI, received information from Morocco on July 11th. The alert warned of a possible Islamist terrorist attack aimed at a synagogue in Sarcelles, mentioning a Toyota vehicle. Police located the car parked near a cinema in Sarcelles, with two synagogues within a 500-meter radius. A search of the vehicle uncovered a Kalashnikov-type assault rifle with multiple magazines and a Beretta pistol with a loaded magazine.

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The investigations are continuing.

Nine people were initially detained for questioning on July 21st. Three of them had prior convictions, including two for drug-related offenses. The PNAT has opened a counter-terrorism investigation, stating that the six individuals are suspected of involvement in transporting the vehicle found on July 11th or supplying the weapons. However, at this stage, investigators have not established whether the suspects were aware of the terrorist plot that reportedly involved these weapons.

The PNAT emphasized that investigations are ongoing under the direction of an anti-terrorism investigating judge. These efforts aim to identify unidentified individuals involved in terrorist offenses, specifically to pinpoint the masterminds behind the Toyota vehicle's delivery and to clarify the nature of the planned violent action.

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The six accused are suspected of having participated in the convoy of the vehicle discovered on July 11, 2026 in Sarcelles or of having participated in the supply or delivery of weapons without establishing, at this stage of the investigations, their knowledge of the terrorist project.