French police on Sunday detained 12 suspects after scores of people reported being pricked with syringes at events across the country for an annual street music festival.
Fête de la Musique took place all over France, with authorities reporting "unprecedented crowds" in Paris.
The Interior Ministry said 145 people nationwide had reported being stabbed with needles during outdoor music events. Paris police reported 13 cases in the capital.
Officials yet to say whether people were injected with a drug
Officials did not say if these were cases of so-called needle spiking with date-rape drugs such as Rohypnol or GHB.
The drugs are used by attackers to render victims confused and vulnerable to sexual assault. "Some victims were taken to hospital for toxicological tests," the ministry said.
In Paris, investigations were opened after three people, including a 15-year-old girl and an 18-year-old male, reported being stabbed in separate incidents across Paris, prosecutors said. All three reported feeling unwell.
Four people in the city of Angouleme were reportedly suspected of having targeted around 50 victims.
French influencer warns women about syringe attacks
Before the free music festival began, French feminist influencer Abrège Soeur warned on TikTok that there had been calls on social media for women to be targeted with syringes during the festivities.
She did not reveal where or how she came across the information.
Police said more than 370 people were detained nationwide during the festival on various charges.
Similar incidents took place in June 2022, when several suspects around France were detained for allegedly pricking people with a needle in nightclubs or at concerts.
