French authorities have detained a Latvian crew member from the Italian passenger ferry Fantastic after investigators discovered a remote access tool aboard the ship; a Bulgarian crewmember has been released without charge, prosecutors said, and the Latvian suspect was transferred to Paris. The charges include conspiring to infiltrate computer systems on behalf of a foreign power, a development first reported by Le Parisien.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said France’s General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) carried out urgent investigations, seizing items for further examination and continuing the probe under the direction of an investigating judge with Italian cooperation. The shipowner, Grandi Navi Veloci (GNV), notified Italian authorities and the DGSI after identifying suspicious software aboard the ferry while it was docked at the Mediterranean port of Sète; GNV said the malware was neutralized without consequences, according to France 24.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the probe involves suspected foreign interference and said investigators were looking into attempts to hack the ship’s data-processing systems. He added that recent interference often points to a single country, but he did not explicitly name a state.
Authorities said the malware could have enabled remote control of the vessel, but GNV has not disclosed which onboard systems were targeted; the prosecutor’s office said further forensic work is required to determine the scope of the intrusion.
French authorities are conducting parallel inquiries into other cyber incidents, including a recent breach of the Interior Ministry’s email servers and the arrest of a 22-year-old suspect charged with unauthorized access as part of an organized group.