LYON, France, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Jean-Claude Mas, founder of French breast implant-maker Poly Implant Prothese, was arrested Thursday in the south of France, police said.
PIP is accused of allegedly using industrial silicone instead of more expensive medical-grade silicone in thousands of implants. The French Health Ministry has said women who have implants made by the French company should have them removed because of fears they could leak.
Mas, 72, was arrested Thursday morning at his home in Six Four-les-Plages, near Toulon. Claude Couty, a senior official at PIP was also arrested, Radio France Internationale reported.
RFI said the arrests are linked to allegations of manslaughter and unintentional injury. Mas, who insists the implants are not a health threat, has been under investigation since he told police last year employees had been told to hide the unauthorized silicone from inspectors.
The BBC said 400,000 women in 65 countries may have the implants.
