The French government is seeking to renew contact with a shadowy group that is demanding cash to prevent it from setting off bombs on the country's rail network in the next two weeks.
The previously unknown group, AZF, says it has planted 10 bombs on France's rail network and that it will detonate them one by one if it does not receive about €4 million.
It has been out of contact with the government since its demands became public this week, despite a plea by the Interior Ministry for the media not to reveal any details.
Its efforts to impose an embargo on news of the threats were foiled by a regional newspaper, La Depeche du Midi, which said it was its duty to inform passengers.
Police sources said the group had threatened last month to detonate the bombs if the government failed to keep secret the contacts which started last December.
The conservative government has vowed to bring the group to justice but has few clues to go on. It has tightened security on SNCF state railways and wants to avoid criticism before regional elections on March 21st and 28th.
About 10,000 SNCF workers searched the 20,000 miles of track on Thursday but found no bombs. The government has ruled out any involvement by radical Islamic groups.
SNCF, which has about 2.5 million passengers each day, says people seem not to have changed their travel plans radically since the threats were made public.
The group names itself after the AZF chemical factory that exploded in 2001, killing 31 people, in an industrial accident. Police sources say at least one woman is involved because she telephoned the Interior Ministry on behalf of the group.