A 26-year-old man has been arrested by police in France for selling and delivering pre-made Molotov cocktails to rioters in the Haut-de-Seine department.
The suspect was arrested alongside two other alleged accomplices and is said to have driven around the area, which has been plagued by riots every evening since Sunday, selling beer bottles filled with petrol and cloth wicks to rioters in the commune of Gennevilliers.
Police say that they found evidence that the 26-year-old had manufactured the Molotov cocktails from pictures saved to his mobile phone. He is said to work as a deliveryman and is already known to local police for minor crimes, Le Parisien reports.
Despite Lockdown: France Rocked by Four Straight Nights of Riots https://t.co/zPrvOmi9fQ
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 24, 2020
Investigators added that the suspect was selling the Molotov cocktails on social media, using the Snapchat mobile app to advertise and charging five euros for three Moltovs and ten euros for ten.
The suspect’s phone is also being examined to determine the identities of those who bought the incendiary devices from him and his accomplices. Identical Molotov cocktails were found in several areas of Gennevilliers by police.
The commune is located next to the commune of Villeneuve-la-Garenne, scene of the motorcycle crash involving local police which sparked the disorder.
Since riots began in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, violence spread across the Hauts-de-Seine department, the infamous no-go Paris suburbs of Seine-Saint-Denis, and various other cities and towns across the country.
At Least 25 French Cities and Towns Erupt in Riots as ‘Youths’ Attack Police https://t.co/nsvO8FFQ4k
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 21, 2020
Aside from multiple attacks on police with fireworks, rocks and other projectiles, there have been two arson attempts in recent days.
The first took place in Strasbourg and saw local youths attempt to light a police station building on fire with Molotov cocktails.
The second arson attack saw the Paul-Langevin elementary school in Gennevilliers set on fire with damage reported in the office of the principal, two classrooms and a staff room.
Police in French Department Attacked Almost Daily for Last Two Weeks https://t.co/G35oQs7Xo2
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) April 21, 2020
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.