French PM says ‘many looters are geniuses’ as a large-scale judicial operation begins, with nearly 200 investigators in the Paris area

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a large-scale judicial operation was starting today to examine footage of looting, noting that many people involved had not covered their faces. He said they had “not [worn] a hood or a mask.”

In the Paris area alone, Lecornu said he believed nearly 200 investigators from the Paris police prefecture would analyze images and videos. He described the operation as “very significant” and “massive.”