Ritz Paris Searched and Suspects Detained in Mohamed Al Fayed Trafficking Investigation
French police have searched the Ritz Paris and two other properties linked to the late billionaire Mohamed Al Fayed, and taken several people into custody, as part of an investigation into alleged human trafficking and sexual abuse. It is the first time anyone has been arrested in connection with the case.
The searches, which took place in mid-October, were confirmed publicly on Tuesday, 10 November 2026. Officers from London’s Metropolitan Police were present during the operation, in what is understood to be a joint effort between the British and French authorities.
The development is a major step in a case that has grown steadily since the BBC’s 2024 documentary about Fayed. More than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct have now been made against Fayed and his brother Salah, and police in Britain and France are investigating whether a network of people around them helped to recruit, move and abuse women.
What happened in France
According to the Metropolitan Police, French police searched three properties on 13 and 14 October 2026. The searches were carried out as part of a French investigation into alleged rape, human trafficking and procuring, and the officers seized computers, phones and other digital material.
The Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement shared with survivors: “At this stage of the case, several victims have been interviewed by French investigators, and the investigations are being conducted in liaison with the British authorities. In this context, searches and evidence-gathering operations were carried out in mid-October 2026, notably within the Hotel Ritz in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, as well as at the Villa Sainte-Thérèse in Saint-Tropez, a former property of Mohamed Al Fayed, and at the Villa Windsor in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, in the presence of British investigators.”
Several suspects were taken into police custody during the operation. The Times reported that at least five people were detained for questioning. They were released after their interviews, so that investigators could examine the digital material taken from the properties. No charges have been announced, and the people questioned have not been named.
The Observer, which first reported the raids, said no current member of the Ritz Paris staff was arrested.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed in a confidential letter sent to survivors that its officers travelled to France in October and were present during the searches. The BBC reported that the letter described “a number of arrests” — the first arrests made in relation to the alleged abuse and trafficking linked to Fayed.
The three properties searched
The three places searched are all closely linked to Fayed’s life and his business empire.
The Ritz Paris. The famous hotel stands on Place Vendôme, in the heart of Paris. Fayed bought it in 1979, and it is still owned by the Fayed family. It was founded by César Ritz in 1898 and is one of the best-known and most expensive hotels in the world, with its most costly suite priced at up to £52,000 a night. Coco Chanel lived there for almost thirty years and has a suite named after her. Ernest Hemingway was a regular at the bar, which is now named after him.
The hotel also has a tragic link to Fayed’s family. It was where his son Dodi Fayed and Diana, Princess of Wales, stayed on the night before the car crash in Paris in 1997 that killed them both.
Villa Sainte-Thérèse. This is a 30-bedroom estate in Saint-Tropez, on the French Riviera. Fayed owned it until 2015. French investigators also carried out evidence-gathering work there.
Villa Windsor. This is a 14-room mansion in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Fayed leased it from the city of Paris until 2018. Before that, it was the main home of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson — the Duke and Duchess of Windsor — after Edward gave up the British throne in 1936. They lived there until their deaths.
The Observer noted that there is no suggestion that the new owners of these properties are linked to the investigation.
The French investigation
The French investigation was opened in the summer of 2025 by a specialist anti-trafficking force. It is a preliminary investigation into charges of rape, human trafficking committed by an organised crime group, and aggravated pimping committed by an organised crime group.
According to the AFP news agency, at least five complainants have been interviewed by France’s anti-trafficking unit. The Paris prosecutor’s office said several victims have been interviewed by French investigators, and the investigation is continuing under its direction.
The French inquiry is focused on a suspected network and possible accomplices, rather than on Fayed himself, because he died in 2023. The question at the centre of the investigation is whether people around Fayed and his brother helped to recruit women, move them between countries, and arrange for them to be abused.
The searches themselves do not prove that anyone helped with the alleged offending. The police are now analysing the computers, phones and other devices they seized, and the investigation is continuing.
The British investigation
In Britain, the Metropolitan Police is carrying out its own investigation, called Operation Cornpoppy. It is looking into allegations against Fayed and against people suspected of enabling his offending.
At least 157 people have reported allegations relating to the Fayed brothers directly to the taskforce. According to a confidential report of a meeting between the police and the all-party parliamentary group for survivors of Mohamed Fayed and Harrods, seen by The Observer, there are 70 cases the taskforce considers could be trafficking. The report described Operation Cornpoppy as “unprecedented” in terms of its size.
The Metropolitan Police has catalogued more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct, rape, human trafficking and emotional abuse spanning from 1977 to 2014, and more than 150 victims have officially come forward to police.
The Met has questioned seven people suspected of enabling Fayed, but none of them has been charged.
There have also been complaints about how the Met handled the case. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has received at least three complaints. Victims said the force failed to take trafficking allegations seriously, and that they missed out on specialised support, including counselling, as a result.
Meanwhile, Police Scotland has said three people have been identified in connection with offending against a number of victims at Balnagown, the Fayed family’s estate in Easter Ross in the Scottish Highlands. Inquiries there are continuing. The BBC reported on 9 November that a former Harrods employee alleged she was trafficked to Balnagown, where she was drugged and repeatedly sexually assaulted by Salah Fayed, who she alleged kept her “prisoner”.
Who was Mohamed Al Fayed
Mohamed Al Fayed was an Egyptian-born billionaire businessman who died in 2023 at the age of 94. His business empire included the London department store Harrods, the Ritz Paris, and Fulham Football Club.
During his lifetime, dozens of complaints were made about him, beginning in the 1990s, but no charges were ever brought against him. The full scale of the allegations only became public in September 2024, when the BBC broadcast its investigation, Al Fayed: Predator at Harrods.
Since then, more than 400 allegations have been made of sexual misconduct against him and his brother Salah, who died in 2010. These include allegations that a network of people around the brothers, including at the Ritz Paris and Harrods, helped to drug, rape and traffic women. Neither Mohamed nor Salah Al Fayed was ever charged with a crime relating to the allegations.
Women continue to come forward with new allegations. The lawyers who represent victims, from the French firm Alta Voce Avocats, said in a joint statement: “Every month, new victims from all over the world are overcoming their fear and finding the courage to speak out about what they have endured. We are left stunned each time more acts by Mohamed and Salah Al Fayed are revealed, and yet we are still only halfway through the investigations in France. But already, the testimonies reveal an organisation in which the Fayeds’ immense personal wealth and business empire allegedly served their predatory sexual behaviour: a system built with cold, meticulous precision.”
What the Ritz said
The Ritz Paris said in a statement that it does not tolerate harassment, abuse or inappropriate behaviour. “The safety, dignity and well-being of our colleagues and guests are paramount. Ritz Paris stands ready to cooperate fully with the relevant judicial authorities. It is Ritz Paris’s policy not to comment on judicial matters or exchanges with the authorities,” the hotel said.
The Foundation Mansart, which is currently responsible for Villa Windsor, said that police visited the house to look at its interiors.
What survivors say
A former Ritz Paris employee who alleges that she was transported to various locations in London and France for the purpose of sexual assault by Fayed welcomed the progress in the case. “It’s empowering that the age of impunity of sexual predators is coming to a close. It’s thrilling to think that in the case of the Fayeds we have come this far without the vast majority of evidence being viewed yet,” she told The Observer.
She said she was “very impressed” by the taskforce in France, particularly the fact that it is investigating allegations concerning the brothers as acts of trafficking and organised crime. “We’re not talking about a handful of victims. It’s a tsunami of victims. There are bad days and there are good days,” she said. “But at least they are going to investigate.”
Why this matters
There are three reasons this development matters.
First, it is the first time anyone has been detained in the Fayed case. Until now, the investigations in Britain and France had involved interviews, searches and the gathering of evidence, but no arrests. The detentions in France show that the investigation has moved into a new phase.
Second, it shows that the case is now genuinely international. Police from two countries worked together on the searches, and the investigation covers alleged offending in Britain, France and beyond. The French inquiry is treating the allegations as possible organised trafficking, which is a more serious charge than individual assaults and carries heavier penalties.
Third, it is a test of whether the networks around a powerful person can be held to account after the main suspect has died. Fayed himself will never face a court. The only people who can now be charged are those accused of helping him. For the survivors, that is what the French and British investigations are really about.
What happens next
Several things will be watched in the coming days and weeks.
The first is the analysis of the seized material. French investigators are examining computers, phones and other devices taken from the three properties. What they find could decide whether any of the people questioned are charged, and whether more people are brought in for questioning.
The second is whether the French prosecutor brings charges. The investigation was opened in the summer of 2025, and the searches in October were a major step. The prosecutor’s office has said the investigations are continuing under its direction. If charges follow, they are expected to be for aggravated human trafficking, procuring and rape.
The third is the British investigation. Operation Cornpoppy continues, and the Met has said it is working closely with the French authorities. Seven people have already been questioned in Britain as suspected enablers, and more interviews may follow as evidence is shared between the two countries.
The fourth is the Scottish inquiry. Police Scotland is continuing its work on the Balnagown estate, where three people have been identified in connection with offending against a number of victims.
And finally, there is the question of how many more survivors will come forward. The victims’ lawyers say new people are speaking out every month. Each new testimony adds to the picture of how the alleged network worked — and to the pressure on the police in both countries to bring the investigation to a conclusion.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mohamed Al Fayed?
Mohamed Al Fayed was an Egyptian-born billionaire who owned Harrods, the Ritz Paris and Fulham Football Club. He died in 2023 at the age of 94. He was never charged with a crime, despite dozens of complaints made during his lifetime.
What has happened in France?
French police searched three properties linked to Fayed — the Ritz Paris, Villa Sainte-Thérèse in Saint-Tropez and Villa Windsor in Paris — on 13 and 14 October 2026. Several people were taken into custody for questioning and then released. Digital material was seized and is being analysed.
Who was arrested?
Several people were detained for questioning; The Times reported at least five. They have not been named, and no charges have been announced. No current member of the Ritz Paris staff was arrested.
What is the French investigation about?
It is a preliminary investigation, opened in the summer of 2025, into alleged rape, aggravated human trafficking by an organised crime group and aggravated pimping by an organised crime group. It focuses on a suspected network and possible accomplices of Fayed and his brother Salah.
What is happening in Britain?
The Metropolitan Police’s Operation Cornpoppy is investigating allegations against Fayed and people suspected of enabling him. At least 157 people have reported allegations to the taskforce, and the Met has catalogued more than 400 allegations spanning 1977 to 2014. Seven people have been questioned as suspected enablers, but none has been charged.
Was Fayed ever charged?
No. Despite complaints beginning in the 1990s, no charges were brought against Mohamed Al Fayed during his lifetime. His brother Salah, who died in 2010, was also never charged.
Conclusion
The searches at the Ritz Paris and the first arrests in the Fayed case mark a turning point. For more than a year, the investigation has been built on testimony — hundreds of allegations, gathered slowly, from survivors in several countries. Now, for the first time, police have taken people into custody and seized the digital records that could show how the alleged network actually worked.
The case is far from over. No one has been charged in France, and no one has been charged in Britain either. The people questioned in October may never face a court, and the seized material may not produce the evidence prosecutors need. But the fact that the investigation has reached the Ritz — the hotel at the centre of Fayed’s empire — shows how far it has come.
For the survivors, the message of the last few days is simple: the police in two countries are still listening and still investigating. The next step is for the French prosecutors to decide what the evidence they have gathered is worth — and whether anyone will finally be charged.
Sources
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
