The arrest of three suspected Islamic militants in a Paris suburb and the discovery of chemicals in their apartment appears to be of major importance, the French Interior minister said today.
"This is not a petty affair," Mr Nicolas Sarkozy told journalists in Paris, the day after the three men, of North African origin, were arrested in the northern suburb of La Courneuve.
One of the three was said to have been in contact with an Algerian who is accused of preparing an attack in Britain, and all three are believed to have spent time in Afghanistan and Chechnya, sources claimed.
Experts are analysing the liquid and powder substances that were found in two flasks in the apartment to determine if they were toxic or could be used in an explosive device, officials said.
"When one finds people with this sort of material, one has to arrest them," Mr Sarkozy said, describing the affair as "very serious."
The three detained were an Algerian, a French-Algerian and a Moroccan.
AFP