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Alain Delon at Cannes 2019

Photo: Stephane Cardinale / Corbis / Getty Images

French actor Alain Delon has been targeted by the French judiciary for illegal possession of weapons.

During a search, 72 weapons, including those classified as military equipment, as well as around 3,000 rounds of ammunition were found in his property.

Since the actor does not have a firearms license, the judiciary has now started an investigation against him, the public prosecutor's office in Montargis announced on Tuesday.

It was widely known that Delon was a gun enthusiast.

Ten years ago he auctioned off part of his collection.

There is also a shooting range on his property in Douchy-Montcorbon.

However, the fact that Delon did not have a permit to own a weapon only now caused a stir, as the 88-year-old had been assigned a carer because of his increasing dependency.

The weapon discovery triggered a new round in the dispute between Delon's three children Anthony, Alain-Fabien and Anouchka over how to deal with their seriously ill and very rich father.

»Anthony and Alain-Fabien know that I detest weapons.

“It’s my father’s macho thing,” daughter Anouchka told Elle magazine.

She remembers with horror how her two brothers ran through the house armed.

“They felt like they were in the Wild West,” she said.

Dispute over last place of residence

Anthony Delon fired back with a tirade on Instagram in which he accused his younger sister, who was favored by his father, of also having fun with firearms on the family property.

He again alluded to the fact that Anouchka had tried to bring her father to Switzerland against his will because the inheritance tax was lower there.

The actor's former partner, Hiromi Rollin, whom the children had thrown out of the house with rare unanimity, also got involved.

"My client is very concerned that Alain Delon is not receiving medical treatment and has firearms near him," explained her lawyer.

Delon has suffered several strokes and, according to his children, has difficulty making himself understood.

The dispute between the three children revolves, among other things, around the question of whether the actor should spend his retirement in his residence in France or move to Switzerland, where his daughter Anouchka lives.

Delon also has Swiss citizenship.

According to the eldest son Anthony, Alain Delon stipulated in his will that his daughter Anouchka should inherit half and his two sons should each inherit a quarter of his property.

In public, the actor often preferred his daughter Anouchka to his sons.

According to French media, she not only has a leading position in the company that manages her father's licenses and advertising contracts, but also a villa with its own swimming pool on Delon's property in Douchy, south of Paris.

She was the only one who accompanied Delon in Cannes in 2019 when he received an honorary palm for his life's work.

hpi/dpa