Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe was reportedly among 26 wealthy and high-profile individuals allegedly targeted in a kidnapping plot uncovered by French authorities.
According to French newspaper Le Parisien, the alleged operation was being directed by an 18-year-old identified as Clement L., who was reportedly coordinating activities from prison using two mobile phones.
The alleged targets included footballers, rappers, wealthy businessmen, jewellers and other prominent figures.
Authorities reportedly discovered the names and addresses of the 26 individuals on phones seized by prison guards. Mbappe was among those allegedly identified on the list.
Clement L. was already being held in pre-trial detention over allegations linked to pimping and organised robbery. He had also previously been sentenced to prison for armed robbery after being identified as one of two men involved in an attack on a watchmaker in Paris.
Despite being incarcerated, the teenager allegedly continued to issue instructions through Snapchat using the alias “Lester Z”.
A source close to the investigation told Le Parisien that the contents of the two seized phones were “highly revealing”.
“He also wanted to go after a rapper and the footballer Kylian Mbappe,” the source reportedly said.
However, Clement L. has denied being the mastermind behind the alleged plot. During questioning, he reportedly asked to be released from solitary confinement.
The teenager told investigators that he had dropped out of school while studying for a vocational qualification in cooking but hoped to resume his education and eventually become a chef.
His request was rejected, and authorities ordered him to remain in solitary confinement while investigations into the alleged kidnapping plot continue.
No allegation against Mbappe has been made in connection with the case, and the reported kidnapping plot remains under investigation.
