Normandy: Man Suspected of Arms Trafficking Killed by Customs Officers; Prosecutor Raises Far-Right Links

A man in his thirties died on October 22 in Vire, Calvados, during a customs operation investigating possible illegal possession of weapons. Armed with a rifle, he exchanged gunfire with the officers and later died of his injuries, according to Caen prosecutor Joël Garrigue. Investigators found weapons, ammunition, grenades, exotic animals and objects referring to the Third Reich and Nazi Germany at his home. The prosecutor said the man appeared linked to a far-right movement, but this remains an investigative lead; the two customs officers who fired were released after being held in custody.