No injuries are reported. But if the traps left by the tenant that the police had come to evict from an apartment in Cagnes-sur-Mer (Alpes-Maritimes) this Thursday had worked, the consequences could have been dramatic.
On entering the accommodation in question via the balcony rather than the front door, the police discovered, connected to the latter, an “explosive device consisting of a trigger, a jerry can of diesel fuel and a carboy of gas”, indicates the prosecutor of the Republic of Grasse. “An electrocution device was also affixed to the windows and bay windows of the apartment”, specifies the magistrate. The tenant, found far from the scene on Thursday, was arrested and placed in police custody.
“Assassination attempt”
On the spot, in any case, the demining services immediately called to the rescue were able to secure the scene without any of these machines, capable a priori of killing or at least seriously injuring, being triggered.
The departmental security of Nice was seized and the tenant of the trapped apartment, aged 56, was quickly arrested in a neighboring town. He was taken into custody on charges of “attempted destruction of property by a means dangerous to persons”, “attempted murder of a person holding public authority” and “attempted murder of a public or ministerial officer.