A Tunisian national has been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to carry out a terror attack against either the Louvre Museum or the Jewish community in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, Le Monde reported Monday, citing France’s National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT).

The suspect, identified as Dhafer M., is undocumented and was arrested on Thursday, May 7, in Paris for driving with a fake license. He was initially held in police custody for possession of a forged administrative document and subsequently transferred to an administrative detention center because he did not hold a valid residency permit.

While in detention, authorities examined his cell phone and discovered numerous jihadist propaganda videos along with hundreds of photos of firearms and knives, according to the report. Investigators also found that Dhafer M. had exchanged messages via secure messaging applications with several foreign contacts, possibly linked to jihadist groups, discussing plans for terrorist actions.

In one of those conversations, he claimed to know access points leading into the Louvre and discussed manufacturing explosives that could be planted at the museum, Le Monde reported.

The case was then transferred for a preliminary investigation into “participation in a terrorist conspiracy in preparation for crimes against persons.” Dhafer M. appeared before an anti-terrorism judge on Monday, May 11, with a view to being formally charged.

According to the report, Dhafer M. was “inspired by jihadist ideology” and had previously considered joining the ranks of the Islamic State in Syria or Mozambique. While he told prosecutors of his intention to target either the Louvre Museum or the Jewish community in Paris’s 16th arrondissement, no precise target had been selected.

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