French police have searched two Paris properties linked to Mohamed Al-Fayed, the Ritz and Villa Windsor, as part of an investigation into an alleged international network trafficking women for the late billionaire, prosecutors stated.
The operations in mid-October at the hotel and the former residence of the king of England represent a development in a probe launched in 2025 to track down accomplices of Fayed and his brother, Salah Al-Fayed. The Paris prosecutor's office stated that individuals had been held for questioning and authorities were analysing digital media including computers and phones.
Along with the addresses in Paris, authorities investigated Mohamed Al-Fayed's former property on the French Riviera, the Castel Sainte-Therese in Saint-Tropez. The Egyptian-born tycoon, who died aged 94 in 2023 with no charges brought against him despite multiple complaints, previously owned the Ritz, Harrods and Fulham football club. Victims cited these locations as sites of alleged abuse by Fayed.
The Paris prosecutor's office opened an investigation in the summer of 2025 into claims of aggravated human trafficking, procuring prostitutes and rape. The alleged trafficking ring is believed to have extended into France, particularly at the Ritz and on the French Riviera, with France's anti-human trafficking unit interviewing at least five complainants.
The French investigation runs parallel to British proceedings linked to the scandal over alleged sexual abuse involving Mohamed Al-Fayed. As of mid-October, 163 victims have reported allegations to police regarding sexual assault, rape, sexual exploitation and human trafficking in relation to Fayed, with London's Metropolitan Police acknowledging many more have not come forward.
The London force has questioned seven people suspected of enabling Mohamed Al-Fayed, though none has been charged. French and British investigators have exchanged information, and the prosecutor's office stated that UK authorities were present during the recent operations.
Lawyers Eva Joly, Caroline Joly and Agathe Barril, representing several complainants, told AFP that new victims continue to speak out and that testimony points to an organisation mobilising immense personal wealth and a business empire for sexual predation. Ritz management stated that the five-star hotel does not tolerate harassment or abuse and is ready to cooperate fully with judicial authorities.
Source: The Local. Read the original report ↗