A terror plot to blow up a Bank of America branch in Paris was thwarted by police when cops pounced on one suspect before he was able to ignite a homemade bomb.
Paris police patrolling the bank saw one unidentified suspect seen at 3:25 a.m. early Friday morning on Rue la Boétie attempting to ignite an IED made out of a 5-liter transparent bottle, an unknown liquid and 650 grams of explosive powder, Le Journal du Dimanche reported citing cops.
The alleged bomber was taken into custody but his accomplice, who was spotted nearby, was able to get away with the manhunt for him currently underway, the outlet reported.
The Bank of America building in the 8th arrondissement of Paris on March 28, 2026, following an apparent attempted bombing.
“Well done to the rapid response team from the police authority, whose actions thwarted a violent terrorist attack in Paris last night,” French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said Saturday, according to France24.
“Vigilance remains at a higher level than ever.”
Nunez told news channel BFMTV that he associated the attack with a similar incident in the Netherlands this month where four youths were arrested on suspicion of detonating an IED outside of a Rotterdam synagogue, the outlet reported.
During questioning, the suspect revealed he had been recruited to the plot via Snapchat and was paid just under $700 by a third party who also drove him to the bank.
The explosive device was taken for analysis to the Central Laboratory of the Paris Police Prefecture.
The investigation into the plot is reportedly being conducted by Paris Judicial Police in conjunction with the country’s General Directorate for Internal Security and the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office.
An IED nailbomb was also allegedly used by Emir Balat, 18, in New York City on March 7 outside Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Gracie Mansion residence.
Balat allegedly also had a partner in the failed bomb-throwing bid, with Ibrahim Nikk, 19, accused of handing Balat the grenade-looking IED which he then hurled into a crowd of anti-Muslim protestors — before New York police arrested them.
The NYPD also foiled a New Jersey man’s plot to firebomb a prominent Palestinian activist’s home with Molotov cocktails on Thursday, with feds raiding the Hoboken home of Alexander Heifler who schemed to attack activist Nerdeen Kiswani.
