Albanian businessman Ermal Beqiri arrested in France after low‑altitude flight over Penly nuclear plant

Ermal Beqiri Penly nuclear plant France Albania espionage suspicion

A 44‑year‑old Albanian citizen, businessman Ermal Beqiri, piloted a small civil aircraft that entered French airspace at about 3,700 ft and deliberately descended to roughly 3,500 ft, below the legal limit for protected zones, while flying over the Penly nuclear power plant. The French air‑space monitoring system raised an alarm and the French Air and Space Force dispatched an interceptor to escort the aircraft. The plane was forced to land at Albert airport in the Somme, where French police arrested Beqiri. During the inspection three Airtag tracking devices were found on board. French investigators have not ruled out an industrial or military espionage motive. Beqiri is being held in pre‑trial detention pending an extradition request from Albania’s Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK), which accuses him of illegal land seizure, illegal competition, tender fraud, money‑laundering and other organized‑crime offences. The incident has prompted political commentary in Albania, with opposition leader Sali Berisha using the arrest to criticize the government.

Entities

Albanian pilot (unnamed) · Ermal Beqiri · French Air and Space Force · French police · Penly Nuclear Power Plant · Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) · Tracking devices

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 3 SOURCES] French Air and Space Force deployed an interceptor to escort the civil plane. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk · faxweb.al
[● 3 SOURCES] Police found three tracking devices on the aircraft. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk · faxweb.al
[● 3 SOURCES] An Albanian citizen piloted a small civil aircraft that flew over the Penly nuclear power plant in France. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk · faxweb.al
[● 2 SOURCES] Authorities suspect the flight may have been linked to industrial or military espionage. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk
[● 5 SOURCES] The pilot is being held in pre‑trial detention pending investigation. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk · faxweb.al · argjiroja.net
[● 5 SOURCES] The aircraft was forced to land at Albert airport in the Somme, where French police arrested the pilot. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk · faxweb.al · argjiroja.net
[● 2 SOURCES] The aircraft flew at an altitude of about 3,700 ft before descending to roughly 3,500 ft, below the legal limit for protected airspace. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk
[● 3 SOURCES] The French air‑space monitoring system raised an alarm after detecting the breach. lajmpress.org · zhurnal.mk · faxweb.al