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French Authorities Charge Belarus-Born Man With Spying on Drone Maker
A 48-year-old man was arrested June 3 while filming a prototype at a factory supplying French and Ukrainian forces. He faces up to 15 years in prison on espionage charges.
Le MondeAudio version
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French authorities detained a 48-year-old Belarus-born man on suspicion of spying for Russia on a French drone manufacturer, the Paris prosecutor's office said on Friday, June 19. The suspect was arrested on June 3 while filming a drone prototype at the Delair factory near Toulouse, the prosecutor's office said. The company supplies the French and Ukrainian armed forces.
An investigation by France's domestic intelligence agency found the man allegedly sent a video to a contact in Russia, the prosecutor's office said. Authorities charged him with passing information to a foreign power, an offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and with criminal conspiracy.
The suspect resides in Spain and targeted the Delair factory, according to a source close to the case.
The same factory was attacked with Molotov cocktails the day before his arrest, though the devices failed to explode, the source said. It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were related.
Transparency
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