The massive deployment of police forces for the Olympic Games has led to a drastic reduction in crime in the greater Paris area, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen said today.

During a visit to a police station in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, Darmanen said that thanks in part to the increased presence of security forces, there had been a big drop in the number of offenses last week.

Burglary has dropped by 24 percent and car theft by 10 percent since the start of the Games. Violent offenses in public transport decreased by 40 percent, reports DPA.

"So far, 200 arrests have been made in the greater Paris area, with 180 suspects in police custody," he said.

Several planned acts of violence with a possible terrorist motive were prevented by the intelligence services, emphasized Darmanen.

- Every day we arrest people who we believe could commit an act, but there was no characterized threat, no outside organization that wanted to attack us, he said. The arrests were only of isolated individuals - he added.

About 30.000 police and about 10.000 military personnel have been deployed to protect the Olympics in the greater Paris area.