A woman in possession of a fake “pregnancy” belly has been arrested on suspicion of planning to carry out an Islamist suicide bombing.
The 23-year-old woman was described as a French convert to Islam, and was arrested alongside her husband, 35, by police in Montpellier.
According to French media reports, officers searched the couple’s home and found the prosthetic belly which had been purchased on the internet.
Sources close to the anti-terror investigation into the incident told the local Midi Libre newspaper that the woman was claiming the fake belly would mean she received preferential treatment while travelling.
But investigators said it had been coated in aluminium foil – a measure which could potentially help disguise an object from metal detectors.
According to Le Parisien, officers said they had recovered evidence to suggest the couple had watched videos online of the atrocities committed by Isis. Sources described what was found as “extremely disturbing”.
They are reportedly now being held under house arrest while an investigation continues.
France is in a state of high terror alert following the attacks on Paris on 13 November, which killed 130 people.
