An investigation into a possible case of theft was opened by the Paris prosecutor's office on Wednesday, February 28, following a complaint lodged by an engineer working for the capital's city hall. The employee had reported having misplaced a bag or piece of luggage containing a USB stick, which contained information relating to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Paris prosecutor's office told Le Monde, at midday on Wednesday, that the missing USB key did not contain any sensitive information on the event's security, but notes relating to the capital's plan for managing traffic during the Olympic Games, which are set to run from July 26 to August 11. Investigations into the lost bag have been entrusted to the regional transport security service, a specialized investigative unit of the Paris police prefecture.

In a press release, Paris City Hall confirmed that "initial checks have established that the agent was not in possession of any information relating to the organization and deployment of law enforcement forces during the Olympic and Paralympic Games," adding that the lost IT equipment "contained notes taken for internal use, relating to his work in the IT department of the directorate of roads and transport."

The city has opened an investigation "in view of proven breaches of internal security procedures." In addition, the engineer's hardware access to Paris City Hall's computer network has been cut off, the municipality said.