Overview
- The PNAT said Abdeslam was placed in police custody on Tuesday at Vendin-le-Vieil and released that evening, with a second custody in the same case still underway.
- The preliminary investigation, opened on January 17 for an offense related to illicit possession by a detainee, has been assigned to the SDAT and the DGSI.
- Regional reporting identifies the object under scrutiny as a USB flash drive allegedly used on a prison-approved computer, with its contents drawing investigators’ attention.
- A prison staff union source told AFP that USB connection traces were found on Abdeslam’s computer, though the device itself was searched for and not recovered.
- Prison authorities had previously cited breaches of electronic-device rules to justify his isolation, and his lawyers declined comment, citing the secrecy of the investigation.