FranceLink

French nuclear plant drone flights: three arrested

The two men and one woman in their early twenties were detained with at least one drone near a nuclear power station, say officials.

La rédaction de Mediapart

This article is freely available.

Three people are detained after authorities find them with at least one drone near a French nuclear plant, officials say, reports Radio Australia.

Three people have been detained after authorities found them with at least one drone near a French nuclear plant, officials say.

A number of unauthorised flights over such sites have raised concerns in recent weeks.

The three people, believed to be aged in their 20s, were detained near a nuclear plant in Belleville-sur-Loire, some 150 kilometres south of Paris.

They were said to be in possession of at least one drone, although it had not flown over the plant.

Prosecutor Marie-Pierre Viret said the three were held for questioning over "voluntary overflight ... of an aircraft in a prohibited area".

French law bans small, civilian drones from areas such as nuclear facilities, which are protected by a no-fly zone that spans a 2.5-kilometre radius and a height of 1,000 metres.

French authorities have been left scratching their heads as unidentified drones have been flying over nuclear plants across the country.

Read more of this AFP report published by Radio Australia.