France's anti-terror unit said Saturday three people were in custody as part of an investigation into a suspected terror threat linked to Salah Abdeslam, the last surviving perpetrator of the devastating November 13, 2015 Paris attacks.
On Thursday, France will mark the 10th anniversary of the attacks in Paris and nearby Saint-Denis, paying homage to the 130 people killed and hundreds more wounded.
Abdeslam, who is incarcerated in Vendin-le-Vieil prison in northern France for his involvement in the attacks, was briefly taken into custody for questioning Tuesday as part of an investigation opened in January 2025 concerning the illicit possession of a USB memory stick in prison.
France's anti-terror unit PNAT said Saturday it had "expanded" the investigation to include the offence of terrorist conspiracy aimed at preparing a crime against individuals.
Abdeslam is suspected of concealing illicit items and was again taken into custody on Friday after his initial detention on Tuesday, the prosecutor said.
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Another person was taken into custody on Tuesday, the prosecutor added, stating that their detention was "ongoing and has been extended beyond the initial 96 hours, by an additional duration of 24 hours".
Under French law, custody may be extended beyond 96 hours in cases of "serious risk of the imminence of a terrorist action in France or abroad" or if "the necessities of international cooperation imperatively require it".
Anti-terror officials rarely resort to the measure, which requires a judge's authorisation.
RTL radio reported that the second person detained Tuesday is Abdeslam's partner, identified by newspaper Le Parisien as Maeva B.
The 27-year-old reportedly maintained a long-standing correspondence with the detainee before being allowed to meet him.
PNAT said she was in custody for receiving illicit items for a detainee and for criminal terrorist conspiracy.
"Two other individuals were taken into custody on charges of criminal terrorist conspiracy on Friday," it said, adding that their custody is "ongoing".
A prison union source told AFP on Thursday that "USB stick connections were found" on Abdeslam's computer, which he was permitted to "attend classes" with as long as usage was "very limited".
The USB stick, which Le Parisien reported was used to transfer jihadist propaganda to Abdeslam's computer, "was searched for but not found", the union source said.
The same source outlined a specific monitoring situation for Abdeslam entailing "regular jail cell changes" and systematic searches of his belongings.
France's anti-terrorism prosecutor, Olivier Christen, said in an interview with AFP the jihadist threat "has been increasing" over the past three years.
November 13, 2015 was the worst attack on Paris since World War II.
Jihadist gunmen and suicide bombers staged a series of co-ordinated attacks on the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France stadium and in bars and restaurants, killing 130 people.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP)
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