PARIS, France, July 25: A 40-year-old Russian chef, who has resided in France for 14 years, was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of conspiring with a foreign power to orchestrate large-scale acts of destabilization during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The arrest occurred during a raid at his apartment in central Paris, where authorities reportedly found a document linked to an elite Russian special forces unit under the command of the FSB, successor to the KGB.

The suspect, whose name has not been released, faces charges of sharing intelligence with a foreign power with the intent of provoking hostilities in France, a crime that could result in up to 30 years in prison. The alleged plot is not believed to be related to terrorism. The chef has been indicted and placed in pretrial detention.

The arrest comes as Paris prepares for the ambitious opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics, set to take place on the banks of the Seine on Friday evening. Concerns have been raised about potential Russian interference in the Games.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed that other Russian individuals have been arrested in connection with efforts to spread disinformation ahead of the event. Darmanin stated, “We strongly believe that he was planning operations for destabilization, interference, and spying. He is now in the justice system which will verify the police’s suspicions.”

Darmanin also addressed other disinformation attempts, including a video falsely attributed to Hamas announcing an attack related to the Games. The video appears to have been circulated by pro-Kremlin and pro-Russian channels.

Prosecutors in Paris revealed that the search of the Russian chef’s apartment, conducted at the request of the French interior ministry, uncovered evidence suggesting a "large-scale project" with potentially serious implications for the Games.

According to French newspaper Le Monde, intelligence services had monitored a call between the suspect and a Russian intelligence handler, during which the suspect allegedly remarked on the exceptional nature of the upcoming Olympic opening ceremony.

The detained chef, trained in Paris and previously involved in Russian reality cooking shows, had described himself as a “private chef.” He initially arrived in France in 2010, working in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Courchevel before relocating to Paris in 2012.

Emails reviewed by Le Monde indicated that the suspect had told his landlady he was returning to Moscow for a government position, but he later participated in a mandatory civic training day in France in 2013. The intelligence services had tracked him for months, including monitoring a call made while he was returning from Istanbul.

On Sunday morning, the elite ‘Research and Intervention Brigade’ (BRI), working with the General Directorate of Internal Security, raided the suspect’s home on Rue Saint-Denis. Authorities reportedly found “documents of diplomatic interest” during the raid.

In related developments, Microsoft reported last month that Russia had attempted to undermine the Olympics through fake websites mimicking French media and the use of artificial intelligence to spread fear about violence and terrorism. Darmanin noted that over one million people have been screened to prevent espionage and cyberattacks during the Games.

“We are here to ensure that sport is not used for espionage, cyberattacks, or to criticize and spread misinformation about France,” Darmanin said.