French intelligence has identified several Afghan returnees suspected of having ties to the Taliban, reports The world.
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, contacted by AFP, an Afghan repatriated to France, presumed close to the terrorist group, was placed under surveillance as well as four other returnees close to him. These five men were the subject of an “individual measure of administrative control and surveillance” (Micas), provided for under French anti-terrorism laws.
–
An official at a Taliban roadblock in Kabul
One man particularly caught the attention of the authorities: “even if this person greatly helped in the evacuation of the French embassy, we believe that he may be linked to the Taliban”, explained the minister. According to the order taken by the minister, this man admitted his membership of the movement and admitted having carried arms as the person in charge of a Taliban roadblock in Kabul.
“Faced with the extremely strong difficulties of being able to carry out security investigations on the people to be repatriated”, the French authorities “agreed to take this person and his family on board,” added the minister. The man “risked significant reprisals following his help on the spot,” said a source familiar with the matter.
According to RMC, the man and four members of his family are accommodated in a hotel in Noisy-le-Grand, in Seine-Saint-Denis, for medical isolation. The individual is prohibited from going out: police officers go to his place of residence every day at 11 am to ascertain his presence.
Security interviews conducted in Abu Dhabi
When the flight arrived in Abu Dhabi, the Directorate General of Internal Surveillance (DGSI, French intelligence) “did the job it could not do in Kabul” by conducting security talks, explained Gerald. Darmanin. On his arrival in France this weekend, the suspect was notified of the Micas, as were three of his relatives “for the time being not directly suspected”. As for the fifth man, “we saw after a DGSI investigation that he had links with these people although he had come separately”, detailed the minister.
The five are under “supervision of the DGSI” and are subject to measures of “restriction of liberty”, he said. “I have not had other feedback from the DGSI” as to other nationals who may be affected by such measures, he added. “However, we are extremely careful.”
–
