Subscribe: Gist E-Paper
Real Madrid and France forward Kylian Mbappe was among 26 prominent individuals allegedly targeted in a kidnapping plot uncovered by French authorities.
According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the alleged scheme was masterminded by an 18-year-old suspect identified as Clement L., who is accused of directing criminal activities from prison using two mobile phones.
Investigators said the alleged targets included footballers, rappers, wealthy businessmen, jewellers and other high-profile personalities.
Authorities reportedly discovered the names and addresses of the 26 individuals after prison officers seized the suspect's mobile phones during a search. Mbappe's name was allegedly among those listed.
Clement L. is already in pre-trial detention over alleged offences including pimping and organised robbery. He had also previously been jailed for armed robbery after being linked to an attack on a Paris watchmaker.
Despite being in custody, investigators allege that he continued coordinating criminal activities through Snapchat using the alias “Lester Z.”
A source close to the investigation described the contents of the seized phones as "highly revealing," alleging that the suspect also planned to target a rapper and Mbappe.
The teenager has denied masterminding the alleged kidnapping plot and requested to be released from solitary confinement.
He reportedly told investigators he had dropped out of school while studying for a vocational qualification in cooking and hoped to resume his education to become a chef.
French authorities, however, rejected his request, ordering that he remain in solitary confinement while investigations into the alleged kidnapping plot continue.
