French press reports revealed the foiling of a criminal plot that aimed to kidnap a number of public figures in France, including Real Madrid star and French national team captain Kylian Mbappe.
According to the “Goal.com” website, citing the “Marca” newspaper and French reports, the authorities arrested an 18-year-old young man named Clement L., who was suspected of running a criminal organization under the alias “Lester Z.” Information indicates that the suspect was originally imprisoned in cases related to armed robbery and pimping, but according to investigations, he continued to give instructions from inside his cell via the “Snapchat” application.
The police found clues to the case during the investigation into a robbery that targeted a luxury watch store in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, last April. After searching two phones belonging to the suspect, investigators found a list containing addresses and information related to 26 potential targets, including players, rappers, and wealthy businessmen.
A judicial source confirmed that Mbappe’s name was among the most prominent names on the list, along with a rapper and a number of businessmen, including a jeweler, a Turkish meat merchant, and a Chinese businessman, all of whom have great wealth.
Reports say that the suspect, despite his young age, was trying to manage an organized network from within the prison, taking advantage of the two phones and relatively encrypted applications to send instructions and coordinate movements. Details have not yet been announced confirming the existence of a direct attempt against Mbappe, but the inclusion of his name among the potential targets was enough to cause widespread shock in France.
During the investigation, the arrested young man, who had dropped out of his studies in the first year of a vocational course in cooking, said that he hopes to complete his education and work as a chef one day, despite the seriousness of the accusations he faces.
The case quickly became the talk of the sports street in France, not only because the most prominent name in it is Mbappe, but because it reveals a new level of dangers surrounding stars, athletes, and businessmen, when fame and wealth turn into a title ready to be targeted.
