Explosives, detonators stolen from French military
PARIS -- French authorities are investigating the theft of roughly 200 detonators plus grenades and plastic explosives from a munitions depot in southeastern France.
The thefts at the Miramas site, which is operated by a combination of military services west of Marseille, appeared to have occurred overnight from Sunday to Monday. The break-in comes as France has strengthened its security measures after two deadly attacks by extremists this year.
Top French security and defense officials were meeting Tuesday about the theft. A gendarmerie official said the thief or thieves appeared to have cut through a fence to enter the high-security depot. He was not authorized to speak publicly because the operation is ongoing.
Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said in a statement that an investigation has started on charges of "theft with break-in carried out by a criminal group" and "fraudulent entry into a military compound."
Mayor Frederic Vigouroux of Miramas told the BFM television network the theft appeared to be "very professional."
Vigouroux told the AP he did not know precisely what was stolen, but said it was the first theft at the site. He said the outer fences were broken into, and that nine storehouses were affected.
"It wasn't cotton candy that was stolen," he said. "These are dangerous munitions. Everything is inherently dangerous."
CBS Radio News correspondent Elaine Cobbe reports that French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has ordered a security review on military weapons depots following the heist at the site, which doesn't utilize any security cameras.
Cobbe reports that no one has suggested the heist is terror related, and nearby Marseille is a hotbed of violent gang crime.
However, the theft comes at a time when France is on a high level of alert for terrorism in the wake of recent attacks.
In January, French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo was attacked by several gunman who killed 12 people including the paper's editor. Investigators say the men were linked to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. As a result, France implemented security measures including newer weapons and increased wire-tapping ability.
And in June, an attacker with connections to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) decapitated his employer at a U.S. owned Air Products warehouse Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, France. An Islamic flag was found at the scene, and the attacker sent photos of the decapitated corpse to a friend in Syria.